Only one in four Americans know about the most recent government effort to get people to eat a healthy diet.
只有四分之一的美国人知道政府最近为让人们吃上健康饮食而做出的努力。
That information comes from a study released Tuesday by the National Center for Health Statistics.
这一信息来自美国国家卫生统计中心周二发布的一项研究。
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) introduced the logo, an image representing healthy eating, in 2011. It is called MyPlate. The image replaced the food pyramid logo the USDA used from 1992 to 2011. Nutrition experts criticized the food pyramid for placing too much importance on carbohydrates from grains and not enough importance on fats.
美国农业部(USDA)于2011年推出了这一代表健康饮食的标志——“MyPlate”。该图像取代了美国农业部1992年至2011年使用的食品金字塔标志。营养专家批评食物金字塔过于重视谷物中的碳水化合物，而对脂肪重视不够。
MyPlate uses a dinner plate with four colored sections for fruit, vegetables, grain and protein, with a smaller circle for dairy products, such as low-fat milk or yogurt. It encourages Americans to make half of their meals fruits and vegetables.
“MyPlate”由四种颜色组成，分别代表水果、蔬菜、谷物和蛋白质，还有一个较小的圆圈代表乳制品，如低脂牛奶或酸奶。它鼓励美国人每天的膳食中能有一半的水果和蔬菜。
The study also found that about 10 percent of Americans had tried to follow the guidance of MyPlate. That means the program that costs about $3 million a year has not reached a big majority of Americans. Diet-related diseases such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease have continued to rise since MyPlate was introduced.
该研究还发现，只有大约10%的美国人曾试图遵循“MyPlate”的指导。这意味着这项每年耗资约300万美元的计划并没有惠及绝大多数美国人。自“MyPlate”推出以来，肥胖、糖尿病和心脏病等与饮食相关的疾病持续上升。
"This is currently the primary education tool that communicates guidelines for Americans," said the study's lead writer, Edwina Wambogo. She is a nutrition expert at the health information agency. "MyPlate should be doing a little bit better."
该研究的主要作者埃德温娜·万博戈(Edwina Wambogo)说:“这是目前向美国人传达指导方针的主要教育工具。”她是卫生信息机构的营养专家。“MyPlate应该做得更好一点。”
Marion Nestle, a food policy expert, said the MyPlate program does not include an education program and does not deal with many foods Americans eat.
食品政策专家马里昂·奈斯特(Marion Nestle)表示，“MyPlate”项目不包括教育项目，也不涉及美国人吃的许多食物。
A USDA official said the agency's proposed 2023 budget aims to increase spending on the program from $3 million to $10 million a year. The idea is to help the MyPlate program reach more people.
美国农业部一位官员表示，该机构提出的2023年预算计划，将该项目的支出从每年300万美元增加到1000万美元。目的是为了帮助“MyPlate”项目惠及更多人。
The recent study said people who called their diet excellent, very good or good were more likely to have heard of MyPlate than those who said their diet was fair or poor.
最近的研究表明，那些认为自己的饮食好、非常好或很好的人比那些认为自己的饮食一般或很差的人，更有可能听说过“MyPlate”。
Dr. Vijaya Surampudi is a nutrition specialist at the University of California, Los Angeles. She said MyPlate leaves out important details about fats and the differences between vegetables. And Nestle noted that MyPlate fails to show that vegetables, grains, and dairy foods also contain protein.
Vijaya Surampudi博士是加州大学洛杉矶分校的营养专家。她说，“MyPlate”忽略了脂肪和蔬菜之间差异的重要细节。而雀巢公司指出，“MyPlate”没有显示蔬菜、谷物和乳制品也含有蛋白质。
The new study advises more research into why some groups are less likely to know about and follow government guidance. It also said additional research was needed to find out how best to reach people with poor diets.
新的研究建议，对为什么一些群体不太知道和遵守政府的指导意见进行更多的研究。它还表示，需要进一步的研究来找出如何最好地帮助饮食不佳的人。
But the answer is not so simple, Surampudi suggested. People know now that they should eat more fruit and vegetables. Beyond that, the message gets less clear.
但苏拉普迪认为，答案并不那么简单。人们现在知道了他们应该多吃水果和蔬菜。除此之外，信息就不那么清晰了。
"The minute it gets a little confusing, people shut down," she said.
“一旦有一点困惑，人们就会停止行动。”她说。
I'm Andrew Smith.
安德鲁·史密斯报道。
Only one in four Americans know about the most recent government effort to get people to eat a healthy diet.
That information comes from a study released Tuesday by the National Center for Health Statistics.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) introduced the logo, an image representing healthy eating, in 2011. It is called MyPlate. The image replaced the food pyramid logo the USDA used from 1992 to 2011. Nutrition experts criticized the food pyramid for placing too much importance on carbohydrates from grains and not enough importance on fats.
MyPlate uses a dinner plate with four colored sections for fruit, vegetables, grain and protein, with a smaller circle for dairy products, such as low-fat milk or yogurt. It encourages Americans to make half of their meals fruits and vegetables.
The study also found that about 10 percent of Americans had tried to follow the guidance of MyPlate. That means the program that costs about $3 million a year has not reached a big majority of Americans. Diet-related diseases such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease have continued to rise since MyPlate was introduced.
"This is currently the primary education tool that communicates guidelines for Americans," said the study's lead writer, Edwina Wambogo. She is a nutrition expert at the health information agency. "MyPlate should be doing a little bit better."
Marion Nestle, a food policy expert, said the MyPlate program does not include an education program and does not deal with many foods Americans eat.
A USDA official said the agency's proposed 2023 budget aims to increase spending on the program from $3 million to $10 million a year. The idea is to help the MyPlate program reach more people.
The recent study said people who called their diet excellent, very good or good were more likely to have heard of MyPlate than those who said their diet was fair or poor.
Dr. Vijaya Surampudi is a nutrition specialist at the University of California, Los Angeles. She said MyPlate leaves out important details about fats and the differences between vegetables. And Nestle noted that MyPlate fails to show that vegetables, grains, and dairy foods also contain protein.
The new study advises more research into why some groups are less likely to know about and follow government guidance. It also said additional research was needed to find out how best to reach people with poor diets.
But the answer is not so simple, Surampudi suggested. People know now that they should eat more fruit and vegetables. Beyond that, the message gets less clear.
"The minute it gets a little confusing, people shut down," she said.
I'm Andrew Smith.
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Words in This Story
excellent -adj. unable to walk or move legs and arms
fair -adj. neither good nor bad
confusing -adj. difficult to understand
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