Origins of the Food Guide Pyramid
While many people associate the food guide pyramid with the USDA, the concept's true origin lies overseas. In 1974, amidst rising food costs, Sweden's National Board of Health and Welfare tasked its experts with finding a way for the public to eat nutritious meals affordably. This led to Anna-Britt Agnsäter of Kooperativa Förbundet designing and introducing the first food pyramid to the Swedish public. Her pyramid featured basic, affordable foods like bread and potatoes at its wide base, with more expensive supplemental foods such as meat at the top.
The Swedish Precursor (1974)
The Swedish pyramid was foundational, illustrating the hierarchy of foods by volume. Its base represented foods that should be consumed in the largest quantities, while the apex contained foods to be eaten sparingly. This visual structure proved effective and was later adopted and adapted by other countries.
The USDA's Prior Guides
Before the official food guide pyramid, the USDA had a long history of publishing nutrition guides, with the earliest dating back to 1894. Notable precursors include:
- The Basic 7 (1940s): Developed during wartime rationing, this guide categorized foods into seven groups, including specific groups for certain vegetables and fruits. It was considered complex and lacked specific serving sizes.
- The Basic 4 (1956): A simpler model that condensed the food groups into four: milk, meat, fruits and vegetables, and grains. This version was criticized for not providing guidance on fats, sugars, and calorie intake.
- The Hassle-Free Daily Food Guide (1979): Added a fifth group for fats and sweets, finally acknowledging the need for moderation.
The Debut of the USDA Food Guide Pyramid in 1992
After years of refining its dietary recommendations and commissioning consumer research, the USDA officially launched its version of the Food Guide Pyramid in 1992. The colorful graphic was designed to convey the concepts of variety, moderation, and proportion simply. The pyramid was divided into six horizontal sections, with the largest portion dedicated to grains at the bottom, and the smallest, representing fats, oils, and sweets, at the top. It provided a range of daily serving recommendations for each food group.
The Pyramid's Reception and Criticisms
The 1992 pyramid was revolutionary for its time, but it wasn't without controversy. For instance, the placement of all fats at the top was criticized for not differentiating between healthy unsaturated fats and less healthy saturated fats. Furthermore, industry lobbying was found to have influenced the wording of the dietary guidelines, leading to a less restrictive message on meat and dairy products. Many nutrition experts argued that the recommendations were overly simplified and did not reflect the latest scientific findings.
Evolution from the Food Guide Pyramid
Recognizing the need for a more dynamic and scientifically updated guide, the USDA later replaced the 1992 pyramid with new models.
MyPyramid (2005)
In 2005, the USDA introduced MyPyramid to align with new dietary guidelines. This version featured a more abstract design with vertical colored stripes of varying widths, representing the food groups.
- Key changes: It included a graphic of a person climbing stairs to emphasize the importance of physical activity alongside diet. Specific serving numbers were removed, with personalized recommendations available online.
MyPlate (2011)
MyPyramid was ultimately replaced in 2011 by the MyPlate icon, which aimed for an even simpler, more practical message. The graphic depicts a dinner plate divided into four sections for fruits, vegetables, grains, and protein, with a smaller circle for dairy. The fats and sweets group was eliminated as a formal food group.
Comparison of USDA Food Guides
| Feature | 1992 Food Guide Pyramid | 2005 MyPyramid | 2011 MyPlate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visual Icon | A colorful, horizontal-striped pyramid. | A series of vertical, colored stripes. | A dinner plate divided into sections. |
| Food Representation | Food examples shown within colored horizontal sections. | Food examples optional, focusing on colored bands. | Proportional sections on a plate for food groups. |
| Serving Guidance | Provided specific daily serving ranges for each group. | Shifted detailed serving guidance online, emphasizing personalization. | Simple, visual proportions without explicit serving numbers on the icon. |
| Exercise Component | No visual representation of exercise. | Included a person climbing steps to highlight physical activity. | No visual representation of exercise on the plate icon. |
| Purpose | To visually communicate variety, moderation, and proportion. | To provide a simplified, personalized online experience. | A straightforward visual reminder for building a healthy plate at mealtime. |
The Lasting Legacy of the Pyramid
Despite its replacement, the food guide pyramid remains an important part of the history of nutrition education. It served as a widely recognized tool for nearly two decades and helped bring nutritional concepts to the public consciousness. The successive updates to MyPyramid and MyPlate reflect an evolving understanding of nutrition science and a continuous effort to provide clearer, more accessible dietary guidance to the public. The journey from the initial Swedish concept to the American MyPlate illustrates a constant, and sometimes controversial, effort to improve public health through visual education.
Conclusion
The food guide pyramid did not begin with the USDA, but rather was an international concept first introduced in Sweden in 1974. The widely recognized version in the United States was launched in 1992 and, despite its flaws and eventual replacement, it represented a significant step forward in public nutrition guidance. The evolution from the 1992 Food Guide Pyramid to the modern MyPlate shows a commitment to refining dietary advice to be more intuitive, personalizable, and reflective of current scientific knowledge.
