Will the Nutrition Australia Food Pyramid Fight Obesity?
Will the Nutrition Australia food pyramid fight obesity? The new food pyramid by the Australian agency is trying to help Australians become healthier by updating the food pyramid.
With 28% of men and 30% of women in Australia obese [1] something needs to be done soon about the growing population of adults who are sure to grow larger and get sicker with each passing day.
“What we’re providing is a refresh of the pyramid which is based on plant-based foods, and reflects the core foods in line with the guidelines — the foundation for healthy eating which is based on science and evidence.”
I love the idea that they are updating the food pyramid with some plant based diet type recommendations in there, but for my money I think there is still some not-so-great information in there.
Avoiding sugar is a great piece of advice and it is nice to see it right there at the top of foods to limit, but right below it in the “Eat Most” section you have bread, pitas and pasta which is not great. I don’t know when people are going to realize that breads and pastas are not part of a healthy diet and if anything they should be greatly limited. Studies have shown that a diet low in carbohydrates can be more effective than a typical low calorie or low fat type diet.[2]
This isn’t just for weight loss though. If you lose weight and you are sick all the time, did you really gain anything? Studies have shown that diets low in carbohydrates not only can help with more weight loss, but can also result in lower triglyceride levels and increases in HDL (good) cholesterol. [3]
“While the pyramid is a good guide for the balance of food, clearly a single guide cannot be ideal for everyone.
Do you think that statement is true? Have you ever heard that everybody is different and that what works for one person may not work for another? Maybe it has more to do with bad information than different body types. For my money, if you eliminate added sugar from your diet and focus on whole foods it seems impossible to not lose weight and become healthier.
This updated food pyramid is a great change in the right direction though. Focusing on foods that are natural and come from the ground instead of foods that come in a box is a really important step that you can use today to get a grip on better health.
Whether you are Australian, American or almost anything else, obesity is probably affecting somebody you know, or it is affecting you. If an updated food pyramid can help you get on the right track for healthier eating, then even a semi-flawed food pyramid can have some value.
Curated from Food pyramid good for fighting post-Christmas fat
References:
1 – http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140528204215.htm
2 – http://press.endocrine.org/doi/full/10.1210/jc.2002-021480
3 – http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa022207#t=article
4 – http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/AboutCholesterol/Good-vs-Bad-Cholesterol_UCM_305561_Article.jsp
