The Politics of Eating Well

The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) has a long history of promoting healthy eating habits, from the "Basic 7" in the 1940s to the introduction of the well-known pyramid in 1992. The pyramid was resigned a few years ago, and then scrapped it in 2011 in favor of a plate paradigm. ChooseMyPlate.gov debuted with much fanfare and an introduction by Michelle Obama in June 2011. The latest update encourages consumers to have half the portions on their plates come from fruits and vegetables.

Not surprisingly, the USDA has come under attack for some of their choices because they are the agency that regulates many of the industries that they are promoting through their nutrition guidelines.

With that in mind, the Harvard School of Public Health has debuted the New Guide to Healthy Eating, which is based on the USDA's plate model, but adds another level of specificity and takes issues with some of their choices. In fact, you can even compare their choices side-by-side with those of the USDA. The HSPH points out, "The Healthy Eating Plate ... was not subjected to political and commercial pressures from food industry lobbyists."

Does the debate end there amongst the experts? According to a Boston Globe article, the Harvard version does offer some advantages, but these exercises are notoriously tricky. Make it too simple and it's easy to follow the guidelines and still not have a healthy meal - make it too specific, people can't comply with the suggestions.