MyPlate Celebrates 4 Years

Abstract

On June 2, 2011, MyPlate was introduced to the country to communicate key recommendations from the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and provide Americans with a new way to think about their daily food choices. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion has experienced phenomenal support for MyPlate, largely from registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) who are committed to improving health outcomes for individuals by encouraging healthier food and physical activity behaviors. The Guidelines are a foundation for many nutrition initiatives, and as we move forward in creating the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans we will continue to strengthen our relationship with nutrition and dietetics practitioners. Your hard work has led the way in developing innovative approaches to addressing adult and childhood obesity; providing relevant counseling and education; maintaining effective nutrition and food services; and building healthier school, work, community, and home settings to encourage healthier food and physical activity choices. The USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) is staffed with like-minded professionals who are responsive to your needs and have worked diligently to expand ChooseMyPlate.gov to offer you more. CNPP supports the efforts of those who work to improve the health of Americans and celebrates this fourth anniversary with a few highlights from the extensive array of resources and tools available for your education and outreach efforts. The growing range of ethnicities in communities across the country requires professionals to offer health education materials in various languages. In an effort to make the Guidelines more accessible, ChooseMyPlate.gov now features the MyPlate icon and select information from the 10 Tips Nutrition Education Series translated into 18 different languages, complementing our English and Spanish versions. The translated MyPlate icons and corresponding tip sheets can be used by providers to assist Americans from diverse language backgrounds in understanding how to build a healthy plate. SuperTracker reaches more than 5 million registered users and can further support your counseling and education efforts when implemented with the SuperTracker Worksite Wellness Toolkit and SuperTracker Nutrition Lesson Plans for High School Students. Our interactive food, physical activity, and weight tracking tool was launched in December 2011 and serves as the public interface for the Guidelines. The comprehensive tool addresses themes from the 2010 Dietary Guidelines and includes features that support individual weight goals and healthy eating patterns such as self-monitoring, personalized recommendations, and customizable goal setting. Get periodic announcements about campaigns, events, and the launch of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans delivered to your inbox. More than 420,000 individuals have subscribed to stay on top of current MyPlate activities. Becoming an e-mail subscriber to ChooseMyPlate.gov is one more way to keep MyPlate in mind. Social media has exploded in popularity and generates meaningful conversations that we want to participate in. As of June 2015, @MyPlate had amassed over 78,000 followers on Twitter and the MyPlate Facebook page had established a fan base of over 55,000. These MyPlate social media platforms offer a way for consumers and health professionals alike to stay connected and receive daily reminders and tips that encourage healthy lifestyles. We are listening to you and strive to provide content that speaks to your personal and professional networks. By sharing accurate, science-based nutrition information, you too can help drive the conversation online. ChooseMyPlate.gov promotes the Guidelines by featuring actionable information that can be used with specific audiences. Examples include the latest group education resource, MyPlate for My Family Toolkit, which includes a leader’s guide and four discussion sessions to assist registered dietitian nutritionists and other professionals in delivering education to families who have limited resources. The Healthy Eating on a Budget section of ChooseMyPlate.gov also provides consumer-oriented materials to address the daily routine of planning, purchasing, and preparing appealing, budget-conscious meals and snacks. We know that part of the answer to successfully addressing the challenges of chronic disease and obesity lies in being part of your team as you work on the front lines to make an impact. CNPP is motivated to do more and think broader to make your work a little easier as we continue to create new policy, strategies, and resources. Things to come include a new look and feel for ChooseMyPlate.gov, more consumer-oriented resources, new features for SuperTracker, and enhanced communication strategies to support the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. We will continue to dialogue with you and look forward to hearing your feedback as we all work to make the future healthier with MyPlate.