RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. The Department of Agriculture is providing new health guidelines for Americans.
The new food pyramid has some health experts scratching their heads, but Dr. James McLennan of Advanced Medical Arts says food science is always changing, and he supports the new direction.
“The food guidelines in all honesty are just kind of general recommendations on how people should be eating,” added Dr. McLennan. “The new food pyramid is flipped upside down. So if you look at it, you have way more protein, fats, and vegetables. The last thing on the list is carbohydrates, which I think is very important.”
The 2011 My Plate model gives equal value to fruits, vegetables, grains and proteins. Some previous food pyramids had sugars, carbs and fat at the top of the pyramid.
The USDA reports nearly 90% of health care spending goes toward treating chronic disease linked to diet and lifestyle. The Department also says more than 70% of American adults are overweight or obese, and nearly 1 in 3 adolescents has prediabetes.
“The old My Plate, in my opinion, is kind of dangerous for the public because you are giving people too many processed foods and too many carbohydrates. As a result of that, you are driving up the risk of cardiovascular disease or diabetes. I think that the new My Plate or My Pyramid is going to be beneficial,” added the Doctor.
The store manager at Raley’s in Sparks says they are seeing an increase in people shopping for healthy options. “More and more of the public are now reading ingredients. More than ever before, and I have been in the business for a long time,” said Nick Barainca.
The grocery store offers multiple healthy options. Ranging from fruits, vegetables, proteins and dairy. Including options for people who have cultural or dietary limitations. “It just depends on your wellness journey and what you’re focusing on. We do our best with team members in every department, who help customers and talk to them. We all know that the customer is our number one priority, and without that we don’t have a job,” added the Raley’s store manager.
Oftentimes, healthier options are more expensive, which can deter people from eating nutritious foods.
Doctors suggest talking to an expert about a diet that can help prevent long-term health problems. “I think the health care system and even the education system really needs to sit down and kind of revamp defining ‘what really is health’ and how we educate people from many different cultural backgrounds about eating healthy,” said Dr. McLennan.
For more information, click here.
Copyright 2026 KOLO. All rights reserved.
