If you grew up in Australia, chances are youre pretty familiar with the healthy eating food pyramid.
Coupled with a trip to Healthy Harolds van (if you were lucky), most of us can trace our first lessons in nutrition and what not to eat down to a pyramid poster.
But surprisingly, the healthy eating food pyramid has not been without controversy. Past versions encouraged people to eat bread and cereal in equally large portions to fruit and vegetables advice that now goes against todays nutritional guidelines.
This criticism has been loudest in the US, where its model (which is different to Australias) has been accused of being unduly influenced by food companies that make cereal.
Aloysa Hourigan, an accredited dietitian working with Nutrition Australia, the independent body responsible for formulating the pyramid here since its 1982 inception, told news.com.au that while pressure from food companies over diet guidelines was very strong in the US, Australias pyramid wasnt actively lobbied.
Whatever advocacy or lobbying is going on there (in the US) might get reflected in their guidelines and then transferred across, she said.
We dont actively have people lobbying us (in Australia) to make certain changes, so weve really just used the evidence that the dietary guidelines are based on.
Ms Hourigan said while groups like the soft drinks lobby applied pressure on US dietary guidelines, it was minor by comparison in Australia.
There is some lobbying that goes on through the Australian Food and Grocery Council and other food manufacturers, but again its very much evidence-based, she said.
WHY IT WAS INVENTED
Like other countries around the world, the healthy eating food pyramid was introduced to Australia in the early 1980s.
Based on a Swedish eat more and eat less model invented in the 1970s, the pyramid model has been a popular teaching method in Australia since it was introduced here, Ms Hourigan said.
It was really developed as a tool, a food selection guide just to guide people in the proportions of food that would help you receive adequate nutrition, she said.
Currently in its sixth iteration since 1982, the pyramid changes in accordance with Australian dietary guidelines.
Ms Hourigan stressed that while the food pyramid shouldnt be viewed as an exact guide to what you should be putting on your plate, it conveyed an important message about the food we consume.
I think its important to recognise its not there to give people exact amounts its there just to guide people in general proportions of what would make up your diet, she said.
So, the fact that the plant-based foods need to provide about 70 per cent of the energy in your diet, thats an important message.
BIGGEST CHANGE TO DATE
In 2015, the Australian food pyramid underwent its biggest transformation in more than three decades introducing a fourth tier on the pyramid and moving grains to an eat-less category above fruit and vegetables.
Herbs and spices were also added to the model they add flavour and contain antioxidants while heavily processed foods containing things like refined sugar were removed.
A significant thing thats changed in recent times is weve taken added sugars off the pyramid, she said.
We wanted to focus more on what people need to eat rather than saying well include some of these as well when theyre discretionary foods, like the things that are high in sugar and salt and saturated fat.
So weve changed it in this last revision so its much more reflective of messages of what to eat rather than what not to eat.
THE FUTURE OF THE PYRAMID
While the pyramid continues to be used by medical professionals and educators, its use in schools has lessened because of a new model the Australian Guide To Healthy Eatings plate, which breaks down daily intake into a pie chart.
(The pyramid) still is in some states but theres also the Australian Guide To Healthy Eating. Some governments dont like the confusion between the two models, as while theyre aligned, they prefer to just stick with the plate model, Ms Hourigan said.
But it doesnt mean that the pyramid is wrong, its just a different concept We actually believe that for some groups and communities its probably a bit of an easier concept, as pie charts are a bit difficult for people to understand.
While Ms Hourigan doesnt predict there will be any changes to the current pyramid anytime soon, she thinks the next model may incorporate aspects of the Mediterranean diet.
Nutrition is a changing science so it is possible there could be more shifts, but it will depend on what the science says when the dietary guidelines are revised, she said.
I think there is a lot of support around for things like the Mediterranean-style diet, and the pyramid is not at odds with that probably the proportions are slightly different with some things. I think its not out of sync with (the pyramid), but maybe things like the grains might in the Mediterranean diet, theyre probably there a little less.
Excerpt from:
Food pyramid: Big problem people have with healthy eating diagram - NEWS.com.au
