Are USDA Diet Guidelines Helping or Hurting Americans?
The US Department of Agriculture hopes the new guidelines will counter the obesity rate; the number of overweight or obese children in America has tripled since 1980.Last year, the US Department of Agriculture replaced the food pyramid, in use since 1992, reportedly because it was too complex for the general public to understand. Updated guidelines released in January 2011, “My Plate” were intended to be a simple and colorful new look aimed at dispensing updated diet information. The new picture shows a plate divided into four mostly equal sections; fruits and vegetables make up 50% and