The Food Pyramid Will Make You Sick
Most people assume the food pyramid is based on solid science—expertly crafted to guide us toward better health. But the truth is, it was never about health. It was about politics, bad science, and big business. Worse yet, the pyramid is upside down, pushing a diet that leads to chronic illness.
Depiction of the USDA’s Food Pyramid of 1992 which targets removal of dietary fat
How the War on Fat Began
In the 1950s, heart disease was on the rise, and scientists scrambled for answers. When President Eisenhower suffered a heart attack in 1955, the nation panicked. But instead of blaming smoking—a known cause of heart disease—scientists focused on dietary fat.
A researcher named Ancel Keys was the driving force behind the idea that saturated fat causes heart disease. His infamous "Seven Countries Study" linked fat consumption to heart disease, but he ignored data from other countries that didn’t fit his theory. Instead of solid science, his cherry-picked results shaped nutrition policy for decades.
The American Heart Association, backed by companies like Procter & Gamble (makers of Crisco), embraced his flawed research. Soon, the government and food industry worked together to push a low-fat, high-carb diet.
The Food Pyramid: A Recipe for Disease
By 1980, the USDA released official dietary guidelines, heavily influenced by food industry interests. The result? A food pyramid promoting 6-11 servings of bread, pasta, and grains daily—effectively a diet based on sugar and processed carbohydrates.
What happened next? Obesity, diabetes, and heart disease skyrocketed. Today, only 12% of American adults are metabolically healthy. Clearly, the guidelines didn’t work.
The Truth About Saturated Fat
Saturated fat has been wrongly demonized for decades. In reality, it’s an essential whole food found in butter, eggs, meat, and dairy—foods that humans have eaten for thousands of years.
Studies that actually tested low-fat diets found that reducing saturated fat did not lower the risk of heart disease. In fact, replacing it with processed vegetable oils increased the risk of death. But these inconvenient findings were buried for years.
Pasture raised lard and eggs - essential dietary whole foods
What You Should Be Eating Instead
If the food pyramid is upside down, how should we eat?
✅ Prioritize whole, nutrient-dense foods – Meat, eggs, fish, dairy, and vegetables should be at the center of your diet.
✅ Embrace healthy fats – Butter, pasture raised lard, olive oil, and coconut oil are far healthier than processed seed oils.
✅ Cut out processed carbs and sugars – They spike blood sugar, leading to insulin resistance, obesity, and chronic disease.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Blame Fat for What Sugar Did
The food pyramid was never about your health. It was built on flawed science, political agendas, and corporate profits. The real culprit behind modern disease isn’t fat—it’s the massive increase in processed carbs and sugar.
If you want to take control of your health, flip the pyramid upside down. Eat real, whole foods, and don’t fear saturated fat—it’s essential for your body, just as it always has been.
