From
Sciencenewsforkids.com
A hamburger or a salad? A baked potato or French fries? A
milkshake or orange juice? A candy bar or an apple? We
have to make choices about what we eat every day.
New
food guidelines
and the food pyramid that goes with them emphasize that we
should eat more fruits, more vegetables, and more whole
grains than we typically do now. We should also avoid lots
of sugar, salt, and certain types of fats. And we should
get plenty of
exercise.
|
The best way to stay healthy is to eat foods packed
with nutrients. |
USDA |
As a
young person, you might not think that these
recommendations apply to you.
After all,
you might consume greasy pizza and sugared soda pop every
day and feel just fine. Or perhaps you stay skinny no
matter how many French fries and candy bars you eat.
There
are plenty of reasons to swallow your pride instead of a
milkshake and pay attention to the guidelines, says Joan
Lyon. She's a nutritionist at the United States Department
of Agriculture (USDA) in Alexandria, Va.
Evidence continues to build that eating certain kinds of
foods protects people from cancer, heart disease,
obesity,
diabetes, weak bones, and other health problems. Eating
the wrong kinds of foods, on the other hand, causes your
body harm.
As a
dietician
in the U.S. Army for 21 years,
Lyon
worked with a lot of young soldiers. They didn't think it
mattered what they ate, she says. They felt like they were
going to live forever.
But,
if you don't pay attention to what you eat when you're
young, Lyon says, it's really, really hard when you're old
and you find yourself sick and unable to do much about it.
New
information
Every
5 years, the
U.S.
government enlists scientists to update a document called
"Dietary Guidelines for Americans" and a food pyramid
illustration that goes with it. As scientists learn
more about the human body, nutrition, and disease, they
adjust the guidelines to reflect the new information.
|
The cover of the latest edition of "Dietary
Guidelines for Americans." |
USDA |
Lyon
was a member of a large staff that helped a team of 13
scientists put together the latest set of guidelines. The
USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services
released the guidelines in January.
Coming up with
new guidelines every 5 years is a complicated
process. More than a year before the new report is due,
experts gather the latest scientific evidence on vitamins,
minerals, and various foods. They discuss the findings.
Sometimes, different studies seem to give opposite
results. Sometimes, the evidence is incomplete.
"It's
a very long process,"
Lyon
says. "People can interpret science in different ways even
when they're looking at the same data." It's sometimes
tough to come up with firm conclusions that everyone
agrees with.
And
new discoveries keep coming along. A team of researchers
in England and Denmark, for example, recently discovered a
compound in carrots that appears to reduce a rat's chances
of developing cancer.
This
kind of study wouldn't have carried much weight with the
USDA committee, though, because the scientists prefer to
look at studies involving people. If researchers were to
repeat the rat experiment with people and got similar
results, the 2010 guidelines might end up suggesting that
we eat more carrots.
Weight
control
More
than the old guidelines, the 2005 recommendations focus on
weight control, Lyon says.
"There's an energy
equation," she says. "The calories you take in need
to balance the amount of energy you expend in terms of
physical activity and exercise, or you'll end up gaining
weight. You need to make your calories work for you."
|
Getting plenty of exercise is an important part of
controlling your weight. |
USDA |
The
best way to stay healthy,
Lyon
says, is to eat foods that are packed full of nutrients.
Instead of the five servings of fruits and vegetables that
used to be recommended, the new guidelines suggest that
adults eat even more than that: 2 cups of fruit and 2 1/2
cups of vegetables each day.
Kids
should adjust the amounts of fruits and vegetables based
on energy needs and size. It might be worth talking to
your doctor or school nurse for advice on the amounts that
are best for you.
|
The widths of the colored triangles in the new food
pyramid show roughly how much of different food
groups a person should eat: Grains (orange),
vegetables (green), fruits (red), oils (yellow),
milk (blue), and meat and beans (violet). The new
pyramid also emphasizes the need for exercise and
the steps that a person can take every day to
improve his or her diet and lifestyle. |
USDA |
The
guidelines also recommend that people 9 years old and up
should drink three cups of low-fat or fat-free dairy
products each day and eat lots of whole grains. Brown rice
and whole-wheat bread, for example, are better choices
than white rice and plain bagels.
Whole
grains are important because they don't go through all of
the processing that strips fiber, magnesium, calcium, and
other nutrients from many starchy foods. Look on labels
for ingredients such as whole oats and whole wheat.
The
new recommendations distinguish between different kinds of
fats, as well. Young people between the ages of 4 and 18
should get between 25 and 35 percent of their calories
from fat, the experts say.
But
most of this fat should come from nuts, vegetable oils,
and fish. You should avoid a type called "trans
fats," which appear on labels for cookies, crackers, and
other foods as "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated"
oils.
As far
as exercise goes, the document recommends 30 to 60 minutes
of activity for adults on most days of the week and at
least 60 minutes of exercise for kids every day.
Changing habits
As
much sense as the new guidelines make, many people still
have a hard time changing their habits, even when they
know what's best for their health.
|
Eating lots of fruits and whole grains is an
important part of a balanced diet. |
USDA |
If you
already eat lots of fruits, veggies, and whole grains,
then keep up the good work. If you don't, Lyon says, try
to start with just a few small changes, one at a time.
"Reach
for fruit instead of candy," she says. "Try
unsweetened
beverages instead of soda. Get out and exercise and do
physically active things with your friends." Eventually,
these will become your new habits.
Long
blamed for
encouraging people to eat unhealthily, some companies are
now joining in to help improve diets. Kraft Foods, for
example, recently announced that it will stop advertising
Oreos and other snack foods to kids younger than 12. And
General Mills recently began making all of its
cereals
with whole grains.
More
than ever, kids are making their own choices about how to
spend their time and what to put in their mouths. Even if
you feel fine, it might be worth learning how to read
labels on the food you eat—and keeping the food guidelines
in mind next time you order a meal.
"If
you follow the guidelines,"
Lyon
says, "they can help you feel better and look better. They
can help you have clearer skin, healthier hair, and give
you more energy."
Who
could complain about that