New Dietary Guidelines and New Food Pyramid
 
Problem:
The food and physical activity choices made every day affect your health--how you feel today, tomorrow, and in the future. To help Americans adopt a healthy lifestyle, the Dietary Guidelines were updated in January 2005 and the Food Guide Pyramid created in 1992 was revised and became MyPyramid. MyPyramid was announced to the public in April 2005. The challenge for nutrition educators is to get the word out about these changes to help people understand how to eat right and be physically active to reduce chronic diseases and increase chances for a longer life. 
 
Response:
Using a PowerPoint presentation developed by Ruth Litchfield and information from the government Web site, a program on the New Dietary Guidelines and MyPyramid was developed for a variety of audiences. Audiences included child care providers, home care aides, TOPS clubs, Service clubs, Senior citizen groups, Womens clubs, youth, Wellness coalitions, and a Hispanic class. There was much interest this spring in the new pyramid due to media coverage and because people are concerned about obesity and their overall health.
 
Impact:
Programs in all 8 counties reached 407 people. The program assisted people in recognizing nutrient deficiencies in their diets and identifying the foods that supply those nutrients. Understanding the serving amounts for their calorie needs that is personalized for them was very useful. Reading and understanding food labels has also been a part of the program which has helped people recognize dietary fiber, types of fat and sodium in foods. 
 
This has become a teachable moment for many and will continue to be as people become more aware of the individualized information and understandable messages that MyPyramid focuses on. People find specific changes they can make to improve their health.
 
Written comments on evaluations from those attending indicate goals for behavior change: I am going to cut down on fruit juices and serve more fiber to my day care children. I am going to look more closely at labels and include more whole grains for my family.  I am going to increase fiber as many of my day care children take medications for constipation. I am going to choose greater variety of color in my vegetable choices to increase nutrient value.  Reading the Nutrition Facts on the food label was the most common behavior change mentioned 75% of the time.   

Contact:
Paulelda Gilbert, Nutrition & Health Field Specialist
108 S 8th Street, Fort Dodge, IA  50501
Phone 515-576-2119;  Fax:  515-576-6447
Email pgilbert@iastate.edu

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