Kids Revise the U.S. Food Guide Pyramid

What do lava lamps, dogs, and flowers have in common?

Wilmington, DE (PRWEB) March 28, 2005 -- The U.S. Department of Agricultures Food Guide Pyramid has been questioned, maligned, and after 13 years is now under reconstruction. While U.S. nutrition officials are giving the old pyramid a makeover, KidsHealth (KidsHealth.org) asked our online kid visitors for some input. What shape would they choose for the new Food Guide?

From stars to soccer balls, the responses were so creative that we decided to ask nutrition experts what they thought of the new ideas. Dr. William Dietz, Director of the Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, It sounds to me like we should have engaged these kids in this decision a long time ago."

KidsHealth medical editor and Fit Kids author, Mary Gavin, MD, agreed. Its great that so many kids seem to understand the importance of eating right, no matter what shape the pyramid takes," said Gavin.

KidsHealth found a surprising amount of allegiance to the current design, but plenty of kids were willing to think outside the pyramid. Here are some of our favorites:

·   The Food Guide Lava Lamp -- Skye, 11
All the lava lamp bubbles that are at the bottom will show which (foods) are more healthier, and the ones near the top are what you should stay away from."

·   The Food Guide Human Body -- McKinzie, 11
The human body reminds us of the fact that you are what you eat." The heart would be vegetables because they're heart-healthy foods. The brain would be fruits. The legs would be grains. Bones would be dairy products, which keep your bones in tip-top shape." The arms would be meat to keep your muscles strong." And the tongue will stand for sweets, fats, and oils, which are a good thing in small amounts."

·   The Food Guide Dog -- Alexandra, 9
I really like dogs and most people also like dogs. The old pyramid is boring."

·   The Food Guide Stomach -- Josephine, 11
It would show how much food should be in your stomach. Like a really small area would be the candy, fats, etc., and a very large part would be bread, noodles, etc."

·   The Food Guide Flower -- Hannah, 14
Because it branches out in so many ways."

To see some of the hundreds of responses from kids, visit: www.KidsHealth.org/kid/talk/kidssay/comments_food_guide.html

The U.S. Department of Agriculture isnt releasing details yet, but the new version of the Food Guide is expected sometime this spring. Some kids say theyll really miss the old one when its gone: It is pretty hard to change something that you've known all your life and expect to learn it easily," Jordan said, What will they be changing next? The alphabet?"

Why not ask your communitys kids what they think about the Food Guide Pyramid? They may surprise you.

To schedule a media interview with Debra Moffitt, KidsHealth kids editor, or Mary Gavin, MD, KidsHealth medical editor and author of Fit Kids, please contact Kira Ebert at (302) 651-4115 or ebert@KidsHealth.org.

To download graphics for media use (such as the Food Guide Flower and Lava Lamp), visit: http://www.kidshealth.org/media/pyramid/images.html

To view the article for Kids: www.KidsHealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/food/new_pyramid.html

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About KidsHealth®
KidsHealth creates engaging online, print, and video media about a wide range of health and family issues. KidsHealth has a physician-directed, professional editorial staff -- and is the largest resource of online childrens health, behavioral, and developmental information written for three distinct audiences: parents, kids, and teens. In 2004, over 60 million families turned to KidsHealth.org for expert answers -- making it the Webs most accessed site on childrens health. Recent accolades include the 2004 Parents Choice Gold Award, the 2004 Teachers Choice Award for the Family, the 2004 Webby Award for Best Health Website, and selection as one of the 50 Coolest Websites by TIME Magazine. KidsHealth comes from Nemours, one of the largest nonprofit organizations devoted to childrens health.

For more information about KidsHealth, please visit KidsHealth.org.