VOA健康报道2022--为什么很少有美国人知道营养膳食指南?

Why Do Few Americans Know about Nutrition Guide?

Only one in four Americans know about the most recent government effort to get people to eat a healthy diet.

That information comes from a study released Tuesday by the National Center for Health Statistics.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) introduced the logo, an image representing healthy eating, in 2011. It is called MyPlate. The image replaced the food pyramid logo the USDA used from 1992 to 2011. Nutrition experts criticized the food pyramid for placing too much importance on carbohydrates¹ from grains and not enough importance on fats.

MyPlate uses a dinner plate with four colored sections for fruit, vegetables, grain and protein, with a smaller circle for dairy products, such as low-fat milk or yogurt. It encourages Americans to make half of their meals fruits and vegetables.

The study also found that about 10 percent of Americans had tried to follow the guidance of MyPlate. That means the program that costs about $3 million a year has not reached a big majority of Americans. Diet-related diseases such as obesity², diabetes³ and heart disease have continued to rise since MyPlate was introduced.

"This is currently the primary education tool that communicates guidelines for Americans," said the study's lead writer, Edwina Wambogo. She is a nutrition expert at the health information agency. "MyPlate should be doing a little bit better."

Marion Nestle, a food policy expert, said the MyPlate program does not include an education program and does not deal with many foods Americans eat.

A USDA official said the agency's proposed 2023 budget aims to increase spending on the program from $3 million to $10 million a year. The idea is to help the MyPlate program reach more people.

The recent study said people who called their diet excellent, very good or good were more likely to have heard of MyPlate than those who said their diet was fair or poor.

Dr. Vijaya Surampudi is a nutrition specialist at the University of California, Los Angeles. She said MyPlate leaves out important details about fats and the differences between vegetables. And Nestle noted⁴ that MyPlate fails to show that vegetables, grains, and dairy foods also contain protein.

The new study advises more research into why some groups are less likely to know about and follow government guidance. It also said additional research was needed to find out how best to reach people with poor diets.

But the answer is not so simple, Surampudi suggested. People know now that they should eat more fruit and vegetables. Beyond that, the message gets less clear.

"The minute it gets a little confusing, people shut down," she said.

Words in This Story

excellent –adj. unable to walk or move legs and arms

fair –adj. neither good nor bad

confusing –adj. difficult to understand

1 carbohydrates   

n.碳水化合物，糖类( carbohydrate的名词复数 )；淀粉质或糖类食物

参考例句：

• The plant uses the carbohydrates to make cellulose. 植物用碳水化合物制造纤维素。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All carbohydrates originate from plants. 所有的碳水化合物均来自植物。 来自辞典例句

2 obesity   

n.肥胖，肥大

参考例句：

• One effect of overeating may be obesity.吃得过多能导致肥胖。
• Sugar and fat can more easily lead to obesity than some other foods.糖和脂肪比其他食物更容易导致肥胖。

3 diabetes   

n.糖尿病

参考例句：

• In case of diabetes, physicians advise against the use of sugar.对于糖尿病患者，医生告诫他们不要吃糖。
• Diabetes is caused by a fault in the insulin production of the body.糖尿病是由体內胰岛素分泌失调引起的。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。