Sources and Resources
Pixabay image credit
Wikipedia image credit- food pyramid 1992
USDA subsidies and it's impacts on health
https://www.americanactionforum.org/research/primer-agriculture-subsidies-and-their-influence-on-the-composition-of-u-s-food-supply-and-consumption/
How did the USDA mess up the food pyramid?
https://www.healthyway.com/content/how-did-the-government-get-the-food-pyramid-so-terribly-wrong/
I have fond memories of being a 90s kid and seeing the food pyramid on every box I opened. The pyramid was burned into my memory, and reflected my fondness of carbs. Little did I know that this pictograph would puzzle me later in life and be a reminder of a major issue in my country.
The food pyramid was developed by the USDA in 1992 to show us how to eat healthily. It was featured prominently on boxes of food, and had carbohydrates at the bottom of the pyramid with sweets and fats at the top. Grains made up 6-11 servings, fruits 3-5 servings, vegetables 2-4 servings and the rest can be seen in the original pyramid below:
Source: USDA food pyramid 1992 from Wikipedia
The USDA did not make a distinction between whole grains and refined carbohydrates which break down into sugar. Supposedly, this is an oversight that led to miscommunication with the American people. The food pyramid features pictures of wheat and bread, which break down into sugar inside the body.
The pyramid debuted in 1992, when obesity rates were at 14.2%, and rose 100% to 28.3% in 2011. The damage had been done. According to the CDC, US obesity stands at a staggering 42.4%. Obesity and improper diet, including diets rich in carbohydrates, lead to metabolic disorder including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and more. The medical cost of diabetes in the US was $147 billion in 2008, and is rising. It is also known that cancer is fueled by excess sugar consumption, which leads to more loss from the misguided food pyramid.
How did this happen? Why did the USDA lead us down this path, and what can be done going forward? The USDA subsidizes production of certain crops, the most commonly being corn, soy, wheat and rice according to an article by the American Action Forum, this is a major sugar subsidy. Guess what the USDA subsidizes the least? Fruits and vegetables. The food pyramid has been debunked, but the legacy remains. The pyramid should have been inverted, with emphasis placed on an active lifestyle and a disclosure about the heavy subsidies given to producers of the bottom of the pyramid itself.
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