The Washington nonprofit Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is suing the USDA and HHS saying the agencies ignored the organization's proposal of a food guide that it maintains is healthier than the standard food pyramid.
PCRM, which champions animal rights and promotes vegetarianism, filed a lawsuit this morning in U.S. District Court in Washington saying the USDA and HHS violated federal law by not considering the group's alternative to the food pyramid.
(
)
The Feds revised the old school carb-heavy food pyramid in 2005 to emphasize whole grains, veggies and physical activity (there's a reason that stick figure guy is climbing that pyramid). That didn't stopped some critics who asserted the recommendations are beholden to agribusiness.
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine endorses something called Power Plate, a plate divided into four food groups -- vegetables, fruits, legumes and grains -- and urges people to eat a variety of all four each day. Meat and dairy don't belong in daily recommendations, the group says.
“We are asking the government to protect the average American, not special agribusiness interests,” said Susan Levin, PCRM's nutrition education director. “MyPyramid is confusing, and it recommends meat and dairy products despite overwhelming evidence that these foods are unnecessary and unhealthy. Research shows the Power Plate is a better choice, and it’s simple enough that a child could follow it.”