When doctors or dietitians advise patients about what they ought to be eating, they often model their recommendations on the Food Guide Pyramid, the government graphic that favors grains, vegetables, and fruits, but also includes two to three daily servings of both meat and dairy products.
School lunches use the same tool, as do food assistance programs.
The Pyramid is based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a slim booklet that is updated every five years amidst heavy lobbying by the food industry. When the Pyramid was unveiled in 1992, it was already out of date. People who ignored its recommendations for meat and dairy, eating none of these products at all, were healthier than those who followed them. Diets conforming to the Pyramid make artery blockages worse, not better, and do nothing at all to prevent cancer. We also knew, from Dr. Dean Ornish's studies published two years earlier, that skipping the meat and dairy groups and following other healthy lifestyle changes could help the arteries begin to clean themselves out.