Advisory: WFU nutrition expert available to comment on new food pyramid

Gary Miller, a Wake Forest University nutrition expert, is available to comment on the revised food pyramid recently released by the United States Department of Agriculture.

Called “my pyramid,” the new design attempts to personalize nutritional requirements.

“Previously, it was difficult to understand how much of a particular food group should be consumed,” says Miller, associate professor of health and exercise science at Wake Forest. “The new food pyramid system targets intake based on age, gender and activity level.”

Miller says while the inclusion of activity is a plus, as it stresses the importance of exercise, “my pyramid” may also present some challenges.

“It will be interesting to see how this will be marketed to the public in that there are no concrete values on the design,” says Miller. “Explaining the individual approach may be difficult on the side of a cereal box or box of fruit juice.”

Miller teaches exercise physiology and nutrition and weight control. His research interests include the effects of exercise and dietary intervention on weight loss and weight maintenance, and examining the effect of exercise training on eating behaviors.

Categories: Media Advisory