An interactive Web site, ThePowerPlate, includes more information on disease-fighting, plant-based diets, and special sections for educators and health professionals.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will soon unveil its latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which forms the basis for the USDA's Food Pyramid. The Pyramid, introduced in 1991, was a major step forward compared to past dietary recommendations because it asked people to eat more fruits and vegetables. But the Pyramid, and its later versions, recommend two to three servings each of meat and dairy products daily despite evidence that these foods raise cholesterol, increase blood pressure and speed the onset of diabetes.

The average American now consumes more than 215 pounds of meat each year ”up from 144 pounds in 1950. Meanwhile, two-thirds of Americans are now overweight or obese, and one in three children born in 2000 will develop Type 2 diabetes in their lifetimes.

SOURCE Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine