about food pyramid?

Dietary changes reflect the advances in food processing , preservation, and transportation as well as changes resulting from the interaction of different cultures. Smoked meats are now primarily produced for their flavor rather than for preservation. Fresh fruits and vegetables are now more available year around as a result of the improvements in transportation from regions with different climates.

Unfortunately, the food pyramid, although allegedly reflecting the various food groups in a healthy diet is greatly affected by politics. Food producers (such as dairy farmers, grain farmers, and ranchers) all influence their legislators to influence the Department of Agriculture to have their products heavily represented in the recommendations so that they can sell more and make more money.

Well 50 years ago people were more active. These days we have many more luxiouries (cars, reliable public transportation) and working enviroments are very different as well (people sitting down all day).

I think the new pyramid is stressing the fact that excercise is just as important to your health as what you eat.

Notice that there is a figure walking up the "stairs" on the side of the pyramid. There is an emphasis on exercise, and the daily intake on fruits might have changed a little bit as well. The old pyramid didn't give a look of "parts of a whole", and there was no relations between the food groups. After so long with the block format, don't you think it's time for a change?

They want to emphasize that everyone has different dietary needs, and that excercise is important