The government has launched a new food pyramid designed to help Americans become healthier and trimmer. For the first time, it emphasizes exercise as well as diet.
It interprets food groups in a rainbow of colored bands: orange for grains, green for vegetables, red for fruits, yellow for oils, blue for milk products, and purple for meats and beans.
Food groups such as vegetables and milk products have wide bands. The yellow for oils is just a sliver.
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns says that while Americans were familiar with the old pyramid, not many followed its recommendations.
In an effort to increase participation in its program, the new pyramid steers consumers to its Web site, mypyramid.gov. The Web site allows users to enter age, sex, and activity levels in order to get a personalized diet.
The new pyramid also advocates eating a variety of foods and watching calories rather than focusing on one food group over another.
