Food pyramid could disappear

WASHINGTON – The government is considering replacing the Food Guide pyramid it uses to guide Americans’ eating habits, hoping to find something that will motivate people better to turn to healthful diets.

While 80 percent of the nation recognizes the pyramid, two-thirds are overweight or obese, Agriculture Department officials said Monday as they asked for ideas.

“We seem to lack that last step: ‘How do I take it and make a behavior change?’ ” Eric Hentges, director of the department’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, said in describing the shortcoming of the federal government’s food pyramid.

An Associated Press-IPSOS poll found in May that 30 percent of Americans consider overeating the nation’s top health problem, but only 12 percent said they were dieting.

Beyond the pyramid, the government makes a wealth of information available to people about how to eat right, including recommendations on how much to eat and information on how physical activity works off calories.

An Agriculture Department Web site lets users create their own eating plan to see how it matches with government dietary guidelines. Another site lets users see how many calories they can burn through various forms of exercise.

Officials are looking for a new symbol to replace the Food Guide pyramid, adopted in 1992, or at least a catchy slogan that would entice people to explore for further information on how to improve their diets.

The dietary guidelines are being reviewed by an advisory committee organized by the Department of Health and Human Services. A revised version is expected early next year.

Hentges said he is taking no stand on the look of the pyramid if it should stay or what should replace it if it should go. “We do not have a preconceived notion,” he said.

But Hentges said that “one size fits all” guidance does not fit all.