Healthy Food Pyramid for Weight Loss

Article by Leann Claborn

In grade school we’re often exposed to the concept of food groups. This concept comes directly from the healthy food pyramid compiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Early versions of the pyramid only represented four food groups and designated amounts in terms of servings. Later versions of the healthy food pyramid include changes the name and look of how it’s used and a more distinct proportion amounts.

To find the latest health food pyramid look for “MyPyramid” on the web. It is written as a single name and can be customized given your age, gender and life style. Of course, this pyramid has received some controversy along the way.

The main problem people have is that it is produced by the Department of Agriculture and not the Department of Human Health Services. The claim here is that the Department of Agriculture is more susceptible to influences by lobbyists. This is partially confirmed by the fact that the proportions listed in the Department of Agriculture seem to be larger than any other government’s report that covers the same type of topic.

The people who do not trust the Healthy food pyramid put out by the government will often turn to the Harvard School of Public Heath’s pyramid. This pyramid is called the Healthy Eating Pyramid.

Of course, the U.S. government updates their version of the pyramid regularly. One of the latest versions was released in 2005. Unlike previous incarnations this pyramid claims to take the advice from a health advisory report issued by the Department of Human Health Services.