Choose Myplate Case Study

Assignment #1 Choose MyPlate
Mission:
News and other mass media makes it quite evident that the United States has a problem with obesity. The veracity of this claim is evident in the following statistic from the Centers for Disease Control. 33% of adults and children in the United States suffer from chronic obesity (CDC, 2016). While although this issue will never totally vanish from our society, organizations such as Choose MyPlate are necessary to combat this growing epidemic that is harming the health of our nation. The primary mission of Choose MyPlate is to promote healthy eating habits as well as an overall balanced lifestyle. Examples of this include: getting proper amounts of sleep, drinking adequate amounts water, and exercising, in tandem with portion control of nutrient rich foods. While one may not

completely alter their lifestyle all at once, small and subtle changes put into place with the assistance of MyPlate will benefit their health, and the health of all Americans who choose to use it. MyPlate is used not only by individuals seeking a healthier lifestyle, but as an educational tool to help instill in its users proper eating choices. Professionals, policymakers, partners, industries, families, schools and other individuals all use MyPlate as a guide to help others in their journey make healthy eating a part of their lives (Choose MyPlate, 2016). There is no discrimination within MyPlate. Everyone is able to follow the guidelines regardless of age, race, gender, or economic status. The organization breaks down these barriers, that might ordinarily be a daunting, by describing how to be budget friendly while shopping for healthy food, offering a vast amount of language selections, and displaying an easy to read graphic that individuals of any age, as well as education level can comprehend. MyPlate does not employ the “all or nothing” mindset, in the sense that it encourages balance within a diet. There are people who may intimidated by healthy eating and may simply want nothing to do with it, however MyPlate believes it is of the utmost importance to make their diagram simple and user friendly.
Background:
The current version of MyPlate was developed in 2011, and was certainly not the first of its kind.

Food pyramids date back 1917 and have been ever evolving in order to keep up with the social and economic trends of Americans (The Healthline Editorial Team, 2013). Previous models, such as the food wheel and pyramid, were not as effective in conveying the message as MyPlate is. For example, the typical food pyramid showed how much of a certain food group to eat by dividing it up into triangles within the pyramid, but did not emphasize it on a day to day level like MyPlate does. Furthermore, the previous food pyramid was complex, confusing, and did not make portions its primary focus. It was no longer relevant, and the USDA believed changing the pyramid to a plate would show a familiar visual. This in turn encourages Americans to make their plate mimic MyPlate. The message that the previous food pyramid was trying to convey was not clear to the receivers, thus a change was imperative. As research evolves and our world is continuing to change, MyPlate will likely do the same. For now, it is a splendid representation of the current choices people ought to

make

Message:
MyPlate is quite possibly the best resource for nutritional information. Their message is conveyed quite boldly, yet simply upon a first look at their web page. First and foremost, it clearly represents all five food groups which include fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy. These are the basic food groups one must eat from in order to meet optimal dietary needs. (Choose MyPlate, 2016). Examining the visual of the plate makes it quite clear to see that the goal should be to make half of the plate fruits and vegetables and the other half whole grains and protein. Furthermore, any dairy that is consumed ought to be lowfat or fat free. Along with the visual as their primary message, MyPlate also list other key ideas and advice that one ought to follow. They stress that all of the food and beverage choices that an individual makes matter. They should focus on eating from the major food groups and eating the right amount of calories in order to meet their needs (Choose MyPlate, 2016). Additionally, as stated earlier, most individuals do not make drastic lifestyle changes all at once. As another one of their primary messages, MyPlate encourages people to think of every alternation they make to their life as a “win” on their journey to healthier living (Choose My Plate, 2016). MyPlate also believes that it is crucial for all places in a community to offer healthier eating choices so that everyone can easily support one another on a clear path to a healthier lifestyle. When people together to help one another be successful, it is more likely they will continue on a road to success