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New Food Pyramid for Kids a Small Step, Critics Say Some Want More Specifics and a Broader Reach.

Posted on: Tuesday, 18 October 2005, 21:00 CDT

By CHERIE BLACK

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has unveiled a child-friendly version of its new food nutrition guidelines, but some health officials are criticizing its effectiveness and saying it's not easily accessible to the all children.

The new design, called "My Pyramid for Kids," is updated from the 1999 version and promotes more physical activity and fewer fatty foods for children between 6 and 11 years old. The USDA revamped its well-known Food Guide Pyramid for adults in April.

The children's version, released last week, is more specific than the old one. It urges children to eat whole grains and orange and green vegetables. They're also told to choose lean proteins such as beans, nuts, lean meat, and seafood and exercise at least an hour a day.

In Duval County, nearly 30 percent of high school students are overweight or obese, according to a county health department survey. Those numbers quadrupled over the past four decades, health department statistics show.

The USDA Web site also added an interactive computer game where a balanced diet and exercise program launches a spaceship to Planet Power. Too much fat and sugar keeps the cyber spacecraft on the launch pad surrounded by black smoke.

Some nutrition experts say some of the specific food guidelines are a step in the right direction but the information still is too generic and the computer component isn't available to many poorer Americans, a segment of the population often hit hardest by health problems.

"Is the pyramid reaching the people it needs to be reaching?" said Elizabeth Beasley, a clinical dietitian at Nemours Children's Clinic. "When you look at the game, what part of the population is it getting to? There are homes and schools that don't have access to computers."

Others have criticized the program saying that federal funds should be spent on a mass media campaign that promotes eating fruits and vegetables. Schools across the country, which receive billions of dollars from the government in school lunch funding, also should be urged to eliminate the chips, soda and candy in their cafeterias, health officials say.

"Any effort in our society to promote healthy eating and more physical activity is a step in the right direction," said Heidi Katzin, a partner in That-a-Weigh Kids, a Jacksonville program that helps overweight children lose extra pounds. cherie.black@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4504IN TASTEHelp for parentsAll parents wage the daily battle to convince children to adopt healthy eating habits. DAN MACDONALD -- E-1ONLINEUSDA Web site@For more information about the new guidelines and the interactive game, visit www.mypyramid.gov.For more information about the Healthy Jacksonville Childhood Obesity Coalition visit www.healthyjacksonville.org.

Source: Florida Times Union

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