Health Alert 68
We Americans are too fat. The USDA food pyramid is making the problem worse. This pyramid has contributed to the startling rise in obesity over the past decade. According to the National Center for Health Statistics 61% of Americans are now overweight.
The Harvard School of Medicine has recently attempted to update the pyramid. They have introduced the “Healthy Eating Pyramid”. Unfortunately, it is only a small improvement over the USDA pyramid. It still makes the same big mistake.
In this letter, I’ll show you the difference between the new and old pyramid. I’ll also give you my own version of the pyramid. This better pyramid will truly help you to avoid obesity.
* The Pyramids Are Crumbling *
The USDA pyramid recommends a diet based on grain. The base of this pyramid is grain. The pyramid gives less emphasis to proteins and fats. The Harvard pyramid gives even less emphasis to meat. Harvard also recommends eating whole grains with every meal.
The US Department of Agriculture created the USDA pyramid in 1992. It may not be a coincidence that it advises us to eat 6-11 servings of grain products products. Nevertheless, this is one of the biggest problems with the pyramid.
Unfortunately Harvard didn’t do much better. The Harvard pyramid meant to solve the problem by advising only whole grains. This switch is healthier for other reasons. But whole grain bread actually spikes blood sugar levels faster than white bread.
Nutritionally, grains are almost all starch. They cause a rise in blood sugar. The increased blood sugar then causes a surge of insulin. Over time this increases your risk of diabetes and heart disease. It will also make you fat.
The International Journal of Obesity reported a study comparing starches and weight. Subjects who ate a low-starch diet weighed markedly less than those who ate a high-starch diet.1
Both pyramids lack healthy protein. Protein is imperative when trying to avoid obesity. New proof has come from The Journal of Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology.
It wasn’t the first time researchers concluded that a high-protein diet decreased the risk of obesity. But they went further. They found a mechanism. The high protein diet increased a substance called PAI-1 in the blood. The scientists believe that PAI-1 then directly inhibits the production of fat.
Dr. Sears’ Healthy Food Pyramid
Grains and Tubers
(bread, rice, potatoes, pasta)
(less than 1 serving daily)
Dairy
(1 to 2 servings daily)
Nuts and Plant Oils Fruit
Above Ground Vegetables*
(3 servings daily)
High Quality Protein
(red meat, fish, poultry, eggs)
(the main course of every meal)
* Corn is not in this category. I classify it as a grain
Al Sears, MD
1 Rabast U., et al. Dietetic treatment of obesity with low and high carbohydrate diets: comparative studies and clinical results. Int J Obes 1979; 3(3): 201-11
2 Lijnen R., et al. Nutritionally induced obesity is attenuated in transgenic mice overexpressing plasminogen activator inhibitor-1. Arter Thromb Vasc Bio 2003; 23: 78-84