Effectiveness of the Food Guide Pyramid, the Nutrition Facts Food Label, and Work Site Wellness Program in the Task of Making Healthy Food Choices

Abstract

LEARNING OUTCOME: To describe the effectiveness of the Food Guide Pyramid, the Nutrition Facts Food Label and work-site Wellness Programs in teaching consumers to make healthy food choices. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of participation in work-site Wellness Programs and awareness of and knowledge of the Food Guide Pyramid and the Nutrition Facts Food Label to success in the task of making healthy food choices. A questionnaire designed by the researcher contained questions relating to wellness program participation, and use and application of the Food Guide Pyramid and Nutrition Facts Food Label. A sample one day menu was used for the task of choosing a healthy diet. The questionnaires were handed out to a stratified random sample of 215 employees from a company with an ongoing Wellness Program. One hundred seventy questionnaires were returned. The data was analyzed using Chi-square and Fisher's Exact Test. A statistically significant positive relationship was found (p values = .02, .029, .03) between all three educational factors and the task of making healthy food choices. Mistakes in choosing a healthy diet were made both in underestimating and overestimating needs. The food group that was most frequently overestimated was the meat and protein group (71%) while the most underestimated groups were the bread, cereal and grains group (39%) and the milk and dairy group (37%). Both the vegetable group and the fruit group were underestimated as much as overestimated (29% and 18%, 25% and 39% respectively). Only 9 respondents (5%) overestimated the fat and sweets group. The Food Guide Pyramid, the Nutrition Facts food label and work-site Wellness Programs are all effective tools in teaching healthy food choices, however, the best use of these tools is to show how they are interrelated in choosing a healthy diet. Nutrition educators need to find ways in which to make consumers more aware of these tools and how to apply them in choosing healthy foods. Possibly new tools need to be created such as putting the Food Guide Pyramid on the label highlighting in which food group the item belongs. Nutrition related wellness programs can also offer practice in tasks similar to the choosing of a healthy diet as in this study.