Pyramid Schemes

Supporters of the Atkins diet are lobbying the USDA to adopt a revised food guide pyramid that places much less emphasis on carbs.

The Atkins Physicians Council, a committee of physicians who support the Atkins diet, claim the current pyramid is obsolete because it is too carbohydrate-friendly, stressing foods such as breads, rice and pasta.

In the Atkins-inspired model, breads and refined sugars are squeezed in with red meat in the peak of the pyramid, emphasizing least desirable foods, while fats, at least the more heart healthy kinds such olive oil, occupy the more favored base.

Posted by Jim Langcuster at February 13, 2004 08:47 AM