[Food Rule: If you want it, have it, as long as it's in moderation] Page: 1 of 1

                                
Fall 2011 University of North Texas
HMGT 1450.001 Principles of Nutrition
Food Rule Written Statement
File Number: F115620203
Food Rule: My food rule, if you want it have it as long as it's in moderation
Statement: My food rule, if you want it have it as long as it's in moderation, is an example
of "How should I eat." My rule encourages people to not sacrifice their happiness for proper
dieting. Stress is a major factor is health and stressing about one more thing will even if it
is your health is pointless. Your body is not going to fail if you have a Twinkie, or another
highly processed food, and your body liver is not going to fail if you drink more than one
glass of wine once and a while. DGA 2010 disagrees with this food rule starting in the
message from the secretaries where it states, "The goal of the Dietary Guidelines is to put
this knowledge to work by facilitating and promoting healthy eating and physical activity
choices, with the ultimate purpose of improving the health of all Americans ages 2 years
and older." No guidelines can fit all Americans as every person is different. The DGA
guidelines assume that if they know your body type, age, sex, weight, etc., then specific
guidelines can be set for nutritional wellbeing. My rule agrees with Michael Pollan's Rules
#60 and 64. Rule #60's goal is to keep special occasion food as special occasion like my
rules contingency on moderation. Rule # 64 recommends not obsessing over specific food
rules as happiness is just as important as nutrition. My food rule helps UNT students make
choices that are good for their stress level as most college students have enough going on
their lives worrying about a perfect diet does not need to be high on the agenda. If a
student needs a larger amount of caffeine then is allowed on their caloric intake, so they
can study late, than they shouldn't stress about a guideline created for someone else's
lifestyle. Students also eat on the run a lot not because they are not aware of the negative
effects of preservatives but because their schedule does not allow for them not to eat on the
run. UNT students need to know that the DGA guidelines are just that guidelines and they
are not going to die if they do not follow them to the letter. I graded my food rule as
LIMITED. DGA make strong arguments for following their guidelines to make for a better
life. Pollen on the other hand realizes that there is more to a person then their specific
body type and that even if you fit within a DGA your lifestyle may not.