Health
Food pyramid backlash: Low-fat era may have fueled obesity, diabetes, says doctor
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The Trump administration’s January rollout of the new, inverted food pyramid has sparked some debate in nutrition circles, as it places a stronger emphasis on dairy, red meats and foods higher in fat.
The top of the pyramid, which is now the wider part of the structure, is built on meat, fats, fruits and vegetables, while whole grains are at the narrow bottom.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Dr. Mark Hyman, co-founder of Function Health and author of the new book “Food Fix Uncensored,” commented on the backlash the new guidelines have received.
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“The pyramid is just a graphic representation of the content … and it’s really impossible to create a proper visual that’s going to satisfy everybody,” said the Massachusetts-based expert. “Could it have been better? Sure.”
Although he acknowledged there is room for improvement, Hyman, host of “The Dr. Hyman Show” podcast, praised the new model for focusing on what’s been driving obesity in America.
The new nutrition food pyramid shows previous guidance flipped in an inverted structure. (realfood.gov)
“Did it flip the script from what we used to have, which was a low-fat, high-carb set of recommendations from the government that caused the obesity, diabetes epidemic and all the resulting costs and consequences on society?” he asked. “Yeah, we needed to fix that.”
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In his new book, Hyman writes that a central component of America’s dietary policy is what Americans are told to eat — and why.
“I think it was a good step in the right direction.”
The doctor highlighted key updates to U.S. dietary guidance, including a stronger emphasis on whole foods, limits on highly processed products and sugar-sweetened beverages, and revised protein recommendations to “reflect the current science.”
“This is revolutionary,” Hyman said.
Dr. Mark Hyman is the author of the new book “Food Fix Uncensored.” (Function Health; Little, Brown Spark)
The updated pyramid also recommends consuming whole grains, while previous guidance green-lit white flour in portions, which the doctor says is not optimal for human health.
The guidelines are “a bit more protein-forward” than before, Hyman noted, with less of an emphasis on low-fat and non-fat dairy. The expert called the low-fat movement “problematic.”
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“The data didn’t support it,” he said. “It was maybe even the opposite — there was some evidence that kids who had low-fat or non-fat milk actually had more obesity issues because it’s not as satisfying.”
The doctor highlighted key updates to U.S. dietary guidance, including a stronger emphasis on whole foods, limits on highly processed products and sugar-sweetened beverages, and revised protein recommendations to “reflect the current science.” (iStock)
“On the whole, I think [the guidelines are] a big improvement,” Hyman said. “Are they perfect? No. Were there problems? Yes. But it’s a radical departure from what was, and I think it was a good step in the right direction.”
Many Americans struggle with a variety of health conditions that may require specialized diets, such as high cholesterol, inflammation or lactose intolerance.
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Hyman noted that if he had written the guidelines himself, he would have specified that dairy is not a mandatory recommendation.
“There’s no scientific evidence that humans require it,” he said. “It’s a perfectly fine choice if you want to make it.”
Dairy consumption should be a “personalized choice” based on how it affects a person, the doctor said. (iStock)
Dairy consumption should be a “personalized choice” based on how it affects a person, said the doctor, adding that it would be “problematic” guidance to tell Americans they must choose three servings per day.
“It should be understood that 75% of the population is lactose-intolerant, that many people have inflammatory or other issues as a result of consuming dairy — and it should be a personalized choice based on how it affects them.”
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Consuming protein also requires a level of personalization, the expert said, particularly for those who have certain medical conditions, like kidney failure.
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“[The government] could have made more nuanced statements around aging and longevity … and [around] higher protein needs when you’re older, when you are sick, and so forth,” Hyman added. “I think there’s some nuance there that could have been underscored.”
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Simple measurements taken during routine blood pressure checks could predict dementia risk years before symptoms appear.
That’s according to new research presented this week at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session in Louisiana.
The findings draw on two studies led by researchers at Georgetown University, which suggest that monitoring how blood vessels age and stiffen over time can provide a window into future cognitive health.
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Data shows rates of dementia and aging-related cognitive decline are expected to increase as populations age, and half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure (hypertension).
Scientists believe that efforts to better address hypertension, a key contributor to heart disease and a risk factor for dementia, could affect both cardiac and brain health.
Data shows rates of dementia and aging-related cognitive decline are expected to increase as populations age. Meanwhile, half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure. (iStock)
“Blood pressure management isn’t just about preventing heart attacks and strokes; it may also be one of the most actionable strategies for preserving cognitive health,” Dr. Newton Nyirenda, the study’s lead author and an epidemiologist at Georgetown University in Washington, said in a press release.
The research focused on two metrics, the pulse pressure-heart rate index and estimated pulse wave velocity. Both were calculated using data collected during standard doctor visits, such as heart rate, age and blood pressure.
“Blood pressure management isn’t just about preventing heart attacks and strokes; it may also be one of the most actionable strategies for preserving cognitive health.”
Researchers examined five years of data patterns for more than 8,500 people in the SPRINT trial, a large study of adults 50 years and older with hypertension. In the follow-up, 323 of the participants developed probable dementia.
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In one study, the team found the pulse pressure-heart rate index was a strong independent predictor of dementia risk in adults over 50. For participants under 65, every one-unit increase was associated with a 76% higher risk of developing dementia.
For participants under 65, an increase in the pulse pressure-heart rate index was associated with a 76% higher risk of developing dementia. (iStock)
The second study found that adults with consistently elevated or rapidly increasing pulse wave velocity were more likely to develop dementia than those with stable velocity, even after accounting for factors like smoking, gender and cardiovascular history.
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“Our findings suggest that vascular aging patterns may provide meaningful insight into future dementia risk,” said Nyirenda. “This reinforces the idea that managing vascular health earlier in life may influence long-term brain health.”
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The team emphasized that clinicians should tailor risk assessments and treatment strategies to the individual.
Further studies are needed to confirm these parameters and determine whether changing vascular aging trajectories reduces dementia risk. (iStock)
“You don’t want to wait until a patient starts manifesting cognitive decline before you act,” said senior study author Sula Mazimba, an associate professor at the University of Virginia.
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Researchers noted the study could not establish causation. Other limitations included the fact that participants already had hypertension and elevated cardiovascular risk, meaning the findings may not apply to people without those conditions.
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Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and to determine whether improving blood vessel health over time could reduce dementia risk.
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