STAT January 13, 2026
It’s like a collection of emoji-inspired illustrations or clip art from a ’50s health pamphlet
When the Trump administration unveiled its new 2026 dietary guidelines, it didn’t merely revise nutrition policy. It resurrected the food pyramid as a central visual metaphor for how Americans should eat. In doing so, the administration revived not only an outdated symbol, but also an outdated way of thinking about visual communication. The resulting graphic feels less like a contemporary public health tool and more like a collection of emoji-inspired illustrations or clip art from a 1950s health pamphlet.
The decision to return to a pyramid graphic is itself striking. The U.S. Department of Agriculture moved away from this format more than a decade ago,...
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