I wrote this post for another blog on Feb 20, 2010, when I was writing it I recalled the “Four Food Groups” touted in my youth. Those Four Food Groups kept a large part of the Country lean and fit.

With the Covid-19 Pandemic going on right now this really underscores why Politicians need to stay out of Medical decisions.Letting General Mills and Kellogg’s tell the USDA what is good for you is killing us.

Remember the 1980’s fitness craze? Celebrities making Aerobics Videos, endorsing weight loss products and equipment.

The fledgling music video industry showing hot people with cut physiques having fun just being active.

Health Spas and Gyms fighting it out with fading Discos to be the place to meet “That special someone.”

What Happened?

Twenty years after the close of the decade we are a nation of lard-butts. One third of Americans are obese, not just slightly overweight, but with life threatening corpulence.

Thank the USDA.

In the early ’80’s the USDA wanted to update the “Basic Four Food Groups” with something more modern.

The USDA recruited nutrition expert Luise Light, MS, Ed.D, then teaching at New York University, to create something better and more memorable.

Luise Light and her team created a “Food Pyramid” and submitted it for approval.

Light’s “Food Pyramid” had a base consisting of large amounts of fruits and vegetables, followed by lean meats, fish and poultry. Up near the top of the Pyramid were breads and cereals, know by nutritionists to cause weight gain when consumed in large quantities.

The USDA loved the concept of the “Food Pyramid” but it wasn’t quite politically correct, so some “minor changes” were made.

Breads and cereals were moved to the base of the pyramid, they recommended eating 6 to 11 servings a day, not the two to four servings as conceived.

Wording saying “eat less” was changed to “avoid too much”. Each change in itself seemed small, but overall the results were disastrous.

After seeing the changes Light protested saying that the changes made to the Food Pyramid would lead to an epidemic of obesity and diabetes. She Was Right!

Why Would the USDA Promote Such A Flawed Pyramid?

Have you ever heard of Farming Subsidies? The USDA pays farmers to not grow crops. Too many crops mean lower prices, the farmers won’t make a profit. Pay some farmers to leave their fields fallow and still get paid. So much for the illusion of the hard working farmer.

Manufacturers of breads, cereals, and other processed foods also made out. The USDA actually endorsing eating junk food for nutrition.

Maybe the USDA thought that all the exercise people were getting would offset the poor advice.

In 2005 the Food Pyramid was again revised, into a confusing mess of what you can and should eat without regard for what you should not eat at all.

What Can You Do About It?

Ignore the Food Pyramid. It has already proven what it does to you, it makes you fat and lazy. Well, maybe not lazy but the more extra weight you carry around the less likely you are to be active.

Pay attention the what real nutritionists say. You know, the ones that actually earn a living giving nutritional advice.

Eat less refined grains, they lack the fiber and nutrition of whole grains. Eat less beef and eat more of the leaner meats like fish and poultry.

“You are what you eat” and “your body is a temple” are two sayings that need to be combined.

Build your temple with sound materials and it will last a longer lifetime. No one else can do it for you. Pay attention to what you put in your body and you will get more out of it.

Michael Cole