Do a web search on The Food Pyramid and you'd think you'd found the greatest thing since.. umn.. sliced bread. But where the hell did it come from? (Yeah yeah, but I mean what was their scientific basis? Didn't think so.) It seems to bear little relation to reality -- every study I've ever seen would indicate The Food Pyramid should be renamed The Fat Pyramid, as it appears to be a perfect recipe for getting fat and unhealthy. Frankly it makes me quite sad to see all the propaganda, destined to fill our planet with unhealthy health-minded (ironically!) people.

For a reality check, here is what I turned up just now when searching the medical archives for the effects of diet on obesity and health:

• Is dietary fat a major determinant of body fat? (Am J Clin Nutr 1998 Mar;67(3 Suppl):556S-562S)
• High glycemic index foods, overeating, and obesity. (Pediatrics 1999 Mar;103(3):E26)
  Note that the big fat bottom of The Food Pyramid contains most of the High Glycemic Index foods.
• Randomized trial on protein vs carbohydrate in ad libitum fat reduced diet for the treatment of obesity. (Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1999 May;23(5):528-36)

And here are some other related web sites:

• The Paleolithic Diet
• Native American Diet (more Paleo support)
• The Low-Carb Pavilion recommends a ketosis diet, which to my knowledge is too extreme and can cause its own set of health problems. However, the related studies and other other text on that site are well worth a read just to get a reality check vs The Food Pyramid. In particular, Read This!
• You might also find my own related ramblings informative.

I also tried to find justification for The Food Pyramid in the studies hosted on the same government site that is seeding The Food Pyramid meme, but I couldn't find anything useful. Their studies on Obesity basically say, in aggregate: Most Americans are fat. Most Americans try to loose weight by cutting their fat intake. Most Americans are still fat and getting fatter. I also tried their section on Nutrition, but again it's just lots of studies that dance around the issues without actually supporting The Food Pyramid premises. Where's the basis?