With much fanfare the US Department of Agriculture unveiled
MyPyramid, its new food guidance system, in the spring of 2005. Although the new food pyramid symbol has been less visible than its predecessor, the USDA launched
MyPyramid for Kids, a child-friendly version of MyPyramid, in early fall 2005 to get young children thinking about healthy eating and exercise. With more than two-thirds of the adult population either overweight or obese, and with
nearly 16% of children considered overweight, this would seem prudent.
Low Fat, Whole Grain, Variety
As with the adult version of MyPyramid, children are encouraged to eat a variety of foods from all the different food groups, but especially from the food groups with the widest colored bands—grains (including three servings of whole grains), fruit and vegetables, and milk. Meat and dairy choices should be lean, low fat or fat-free. That's not to say children should be on ultra low-fat diets, since
fat is essential for kids' proper growth and development. But establishing healthy eating habits and promoting regular exercise at an early age could help prevent the next generation from becoming obese and dying prematurely.
MyPyramid Resources for Kids
Appealing to computer-savvy elementary-school kids, the centerpiece of the MyPyramid for Kids campaign is
Blast Off, a computer game that encourages kids to supply their pyramid rocket with the right kind of fuel (food), plus an hour’s physical activity, to help it reach Planet Power. There are plenty of classroom materials and coloring sheets to reinforce the message.
MyPyramid Outside the Classroom
Will MyPyramid for Kids encourage children to eat better and exercise more? A cynic would say that even encouraging kids to sit at their computers to play an educational game is time that could be spent kicking a ball around outside, but it does at least encourage kids to think about food in the right way. Translating what kids learn into what they actually eat depends on the foods offered to them at home and at school. So long as junk food continues to be readily available, and well advertised, the government’s message may well stay in the classroom.
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