PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.MyPyramid recommends at
least 30 minutes of moderate or vigorous physical
activity every day in addition to a person’s normal
daily routine. Moderate and vigorous activity will
increase the heart rate. Movement, such as casual
walking while shopping, that does increase heart rate
does not count toward the 30 minutes of activity.
Moderate activity includes:
brisk walking
hiking
year work and gardening
dancing
golfing while not using a golf cart
easy bicycling
light weight training
Vigorous activity includes:
running or jogging
brisk or hard bicycling
lap swimming
aerobic exercising
power walking
many competitive sports (tennis, basketball, etc.)
heavy yard work such as chopping wood
heavy weight trainingPrecautions
MyPyramid is designed for healthy people. It does
not take into account special diets for people who have
diabetes,hypertension, gluten intolerance, or other
allergies, or those who have diseases such ascancer
or AIDS that alter the nutrient requirements of the
body. People with special conditions should follow the
advice of their healthcare provider.Parental concerns
MyPyramid is designed to apply only to children
over age two. Because they are growing so rapidly,
children younger than that have special dietary
needs, including increased fat intake. Parents of chil-
dren age two and younger should follow the dietary
advice of their pediatrician.Resources
BOOKS
Faiella, Graham Faiella.The Food Pyramid and Basic
Nutrition: Assembling the Building Blocks of a Healthy
Diet. New York: Rosen Pub. Group, 2005.
Ward, Elizabeth M.The Pocket Idiot’s Guide to the New
Food Pyramids.: New York, NY: Alpha, 2005.
PERIODICALS
Macready, Norra. ‘‘ New Pyramid Reflects Preventive Role
of Nutrients: Food and Supplements for Older Adults.’’
Family Practice News. 33, no. 17 (September 1, 2003): 29.
Wendling, Patricia. ‘‘New Food Pyramid Draws Mixed
Reviews.’’Family Practice News. 35, no.10 (May 15,
2005): 5.
ORGANIZATIONS
American Dietetic Association. 120 South Riverside Plaza,
Suite 2000, Chicago, Illinois 60606-6995. Telephone:
(800) 877-1600. Website:<http://www.eatright.org>
American Council for Fitness and Nutrition. P.O. Box
33396, Washington, DC 20033-3396. Telephone: (800)
953-1700 Website:<http://www.acfn.org>
United States Department of Agriculture. 1400 Independ-
ence Avenue, S.W., Room 1180, Washington, DC- Website:http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/
usdahome
OTHER
Lewis, Jaye. ‘‘The Food Pyramid: It’s History, Purpose, and
Effectiveness.’’ Healthlearning.com, undated, accessed
March 26, 2007.http://health.learninginfo.org/food-
pyramid.htm
United States Department of Agriculture. ‘‘Finding the Way
to a Healthier You: Based on the Dietary Guidelines for
Americans,’’ 6th ed. 2005.http://www.healthierus.
gov/dietaryguidelines
United States Department of Agriculture. ‘‘My Pyramid: Steps
to a Healthier You.’’ 2005.http://www.mypyramid.
gov
United States Department of Health and Human Services
and the United States Department of Agriculture.
‘‘Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005.’’ January 12,
2005.http://www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines
United States Department of Agriculture. ‘‘My Pyramid for
Kids.’’ 2005.http://www.mypyramid.gov/kids/
index.html
Tish Davidson, A.M.USDA food guide pyramid (MyPyramid)