New food guidelines challenge cutting carbs, say traditional advice best

Much Ado About …

It is the age of the diet — Atkins, South Beach, Weight Watchers. As a society, we are consumed with the drive to be thin and in shape.

It also is the age of obesity and being overweight. About 127 million adults in the United States are overweight and 60 million suffer from obesity, according to the American Obesity Association. This means that more than 30 percent of adults in America are obese.

This high level of obesity has caused the U.S. Government to take action. Last week, the government released its new and improved food pyramid guidelines. These guidelines will be used to update the familiar food pyramid within the next couple of months, which could result in the pyramid taking on a new shape.

After a twelve years with a pyramid that encouraged the eating of carbohydrates and resulted in the unhealthy cutting of these excess carbs, we finally are changing the pyramid to make it usable. However, these new guidelines aren’t really new. They are full of the same advice we have been hearing since the beginning of time.

The guidelines come from the advice of a 13-member panel that spent the last year observing Americans’ health and diets. The guidelines suggest giving up the diets and returning to the ways of the past — eating less and exercising more. They also negate the Atkins craze of cutting carbs, but say instead to choose foods rich in whole grains and increase your intake of fruits and vegetables. Basically, out with the Wonder White Bread and in with 12 grain bread, broccoli and oranges.

The panel also said that counting calories is the way to keep your weight in check. Overall, Americans are consuming extra calories without meeting their nutritional needs. They also suggest limiting salt intake to one teaspoon or less a day, taking out all trans-fats and including at least 30 minutes of exercise in your daily activities.

But "eat better and exercise" is a phrase I know I’ve heard countless times from my mom, and just because I’ve heard it over and over doesn’t mean it has been put into practice in my life. So will this plan really work to fix the problem of obesity in our county?

At first glance, no. For decades, Americans have been told to eat less and exercise, and maybe in the days before they had three cars per household, televisions, Internet, eBay and X Box, this theory worked.

But in the times when a quick fix is the answer, these new guidelines are potentially falling on deaf ears.
However, while we look for the quickest fix, we also are diet-driven and always looking for the newest craze in weight loss. Will these guidelines be that next craze? They have been proven effective and have withstood the test of time — my mom has been giving me that lecture practically my whole life and I know she heard it from hers. Even the fast food chains are offering healthy eating options to replace the burger and fries. So next time you are at D-hall, don’t think about cutting carbs, but instead head for the salad bar and whole grains.

Molly Little is a junior English major.