By Rashmi Vaish
The numbers are not surprising when you consider the nationwide statistic that more than 65 percent of Americans are overweight or obese.In an effort, therefore, to help Americans get healthier, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have adopted a slightly different approach in the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans released Jan. 12.What's new”For the first time the guidelines mention weight management and physical activity as an essential ingredient for health,” Candace Young, director of physical activity and nutrition at the city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, said. “But we still mustn't take away from nutrition which is a major factor in health. There must be a balance between the two.”Harriet Blank, nutritionist at Bayside's New You Diet Inc., agreed. “You have to pay attention to what you're eating, exercise and burn calories,” she said. “It's common sense dieting.”The guidelines, revised every five years since they were first published in 1980, encourage Americans to eat fewer calories, get more exercise and make wiser food choices. The new guidelines suggest more vegetables; more low-fat or fat-free milk products; more whole grains; a limited intake of saturated and trans fats, cholesterols, added sugars, salt and alcohol; and 60 to 90 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise in a day to lose weight.Do the guidelines help?Most nutritionists, however, consider these recommendations rather Utopian. The trouble is “American food is a lot more processed,” Young said, and consists of foods that more often than not induce weight gain, a fact that has particularly affected the immigrant population.Most people “start moving toward a more Western diet and away from their own foods once they arrive (in the U.S.),” Young said, thus leading to increasing obesity in immigrant groups. According to a recent report from the City Planning Department, immigrants make up 46 percent of Queens' population.”Ethnic foods rely largely on whole foods like whole grains, vegetables which are the sources for good nutrition,” Young said. She, therefore, recommends ethnic groups to stick to their traditional foods. “One should look at traditional recipes but reduce fried foods, increase vegetables, reduce red meats,” Young said.Blank agreed that processed food, like frozen meals, are not a source of nutrition. “There's no nutritional value in a frozen dinner. Also, frozen dinners are very high in sodium,” Blank said. Which is why her diet and fitness group urges its members to stay away from frozen foods and fill up, instead, on soups and salads or even fiber supplements because “a full stomach gives you more willpower to refuse food,” said Blank.The food guide pyramidThe dietary guidelines are also the basis for the food pyramid, an illustrative guide to the recommendations that have gained popularity only in recent years. The new food guide pyramid, to be released in the spring, is expected to change dramatically.So far, many have criticized the pyramid for being out of touch with reality. “Eating entirely according to the food pyramid is great if you're 9 and play baseball,” said Blank. “Not if you're a menopausal book-keeper who needs to lose 70 pounds. In the practical world it's very different. Starting at the bottom of the pyramid, with a meal of pasta – which can be 1,000 calories – is going to do you no good. If you need to lose weight, you need to start higher on the pyramid with lots of vegetables and fruits.”The other trouble with the pyramid is its concept of serving size. “The pyramid was a positive message, but it got misinterpreted,” Young said. “The main concept on the pyramid was serving size. But there was a disconnect between what the pyramid suggested and the portions really served. People just didn't understand the serving size concept.”The current guidelines do try to address this issue with equivalent amounts. For instance, the recommendation for fruits is four servings a day, which is two cups. A half cup equivalent in this case is 1/2 cup fresh, frozen or canned fruit, one medium fruit or 1/4 cup dried food.Similarly, the recommendation for whole grains is three-ounce equivalents per day. Here a one-ounce equivalent is one slice of bread, one cup dried cereal or 1/2 cup cooked rice, pasta or cereal.Guidelines need more clarityThe biggest hurdle with the guidelines, said Clarita Avaricio, head of dietary at Queens Hospital Center is the lack of explanation. “You can't just hand people a piece of paper,” she said.”You must show them how to incorporate these things into their diets.” A consumer's financial status also needs to be considered, Avaricio said. “You tell people to eat more fruits and vegetables, but what about their ability to buy these things?” she asked. “Not everyone can afford fresh fruit and vegetables.”While the government does put out a companion booklet, a summarized version of the guidelines, Young agrees that more can be done to help people make choices.”We have to remember (the government) still depends on the consumer to make the final choices. It leaves the responsibility on the individual,” she said. “The trouble is, we think in terms of labels, products, brands. Unfortunately, the government is not able to translate that. So maybe (the pyramid is) not as realistic as one would want it to be.”
