In today's world, we are faced with a wide array of foods to choose from. Making a healthy choice about what to eat isn't always easy. To help people establish guidelines for eating healthy foods, the food pyramid was created. However, the food pyramid has existed for many years without any updates since 1992. New research on topics such as nutrition and the human body has made our current food pyramid somewhat outdated. Therefore, the White House Office of Management and Budget has suggested that the food pyramid be revised, allowing for the circulation of a food pyramid which includes additional information on healthful foods. At the same time, the Department of Agriculture wants to only issue a new set of guidelines instead of revamping the entire pyramid [1]. The two departments are currently at odds about what the newly-revised food pyramid should include.

Changes to the food pyramid have become necessary as a result of research findings that indicate severe risks associated with certain fats. Additionally, findings have shown that certain health benefits can result from the inclusion of other types of fats in the diet. Fats which are harmful to the diet are known as trans fats, which often lead to increased risk of heart disease. Trans fats lower the levels of HDL, or good cholesterol. They simultaneously increase the levels of LDL, or bad cholesterol [2]. Trans fats are made during the process of hydrogenation, which converts a liquid fat into a solid. At this time, hydrogen is added, resulting in a change of the hydrogen atom configuration around carbon atoms. The new configuration taken on is of the "trans" orientation. Typically, products such as processed desserts and snack foods contain significant levels of trans fats [3]. Currently, trans fat levels are not labeled on most packages, making it impossible for consumers to be aware of trans fat amounts in certain products. The U.S. Government has been increasingly eager for the Food and Drug Administration to pass regulations requiring companies to include trans fat amounts in their food products [1]. Passage of these regulations was made successful in July 2003, however changes will not be completely effective for several years [4].

While consumption of trans fats poses serious health risks, other types of fats may reduce the risk for various diseases and medical conditions. One type of such fats is known as omega-3 fatty acids, which are a type of polyunsaturated fatty acid [3]. These fats have been shown to reduce the risk for heart attack and may also play a role in preventing multiple heart attacks [2]. Fish oil and flax seed both contain significant levels of these fats, which in turn has led to the American Heart Association's recommendation that fatty fish be consumed twice weekly [3].

Our current food pyramid fails to mention both trans fats as well as omega-3 fatty acids. Instead, it is based on cholesterol and saturated fat levels. While this information is indeed important to consider, additional data focusing on trans fat levels should be included in order to better inform consumers regarding various food products. One year ago, Frito-Lay announced its plans to eliminate trans fats from its food products. True to its word, Frito-Lay has now become the first company to remove trans fats and to include trans fat information on nutrition labels of food products. Many Frito-Lay chip brands such as Doritos, Tostitios, Fritos, and Cheetos now contain zero grams of trans fat [4].

These improvements will indeed result in numerous health benefits for consumers, while simultaneously providing people with valuable product information and guidelines. Although the updated food pyramid will likely make people increasingly aware of the benefits and risks associated with certain foods, it will not necessarily change their eating habits for the better. Still, consumers will begin to understand the differences that exist among various fats and therefore help them to improve their eating habits. Instead of consuming so many processed foods, people will hopefully begin to balance their diet with more natural foods, which tend to contain more mono-unsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids. While the new food pyramid will by no means include all relevant information regarding foods and servings, it will establish additional guidelines for determining which types of fats are beneficial and which fats should be consumed sparingly. Hopefully, this new information will allow us all to become more selective of the foods we choose and more mindful of the benefits and risks associated with these choices.