Using the MyPyramid.gov Website as a Tool for Diabetes Self-Management Education

The Food Guide Pyramid, released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 1992, became one of the most recognized and most frequently reproduced nutrition education tools in history.1 In April 2005, the USDA released a new pictorial food guidance system in the form of an interactive website called MyPyramid. The new system is designed to interface with the USDA's Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005, which were released in January 2005.2 The website (www.mypyramid.gov) includes resources for professionals, as well as printable references and handouts that can be used for patient education. The new food guidance system is designed to provide the general public with usable individualized information to improve health and “improve the quality of an average American diet.”3The new pyramid has tools for educating the general population; however, individuals with pre-diabetes, at high risk for developing diabetes, or with diagnosed diabetes will also find it helpful. In this article, we will describe the basic features of the new food guidance system and provide information on both the benefits and challenges for using it as an educational tool, especially for individuals at risk for or with diabetes.Much of the MyPyramid website contains tools and information intended for consumers as outlined in Table 1. Unlike the 1992 Food Guide Pyramid, this website allows users to personalize the pyramid and obtain an individualized calorie level and food pattern, including a breakdown of recommended servings from each food group per day. Links are provided to the personalized pyramid for more information on each food group, complete with tips for meeting the daily serving recommendations. Users can also print a PDF version of their results and an individualized meal planning worksheet that can be used for logging and comparing daily food choices with the recommendations of the Dietary …