The U.S. Department of Agriculture's newest food pyramid guide, called MyPyramid, encourages consumers to make healthier food choices and to get regular exercise. Unlike the older model, food groups are arranged in vertically bands, instead of horizontal ones. Band width indicates portion size. The wider the band, the more food from that group you should eat.

Calories are the basic unit of energy within food. When you eat, your body converts calories into energy and uses what it can and stores the rest in the form of fat. A calorie is a calorie, whether it comes from a brownie or a serving of raw broccoli. The difference between them is the number of calories, nutrients, fat, and other ingredients in a typical serving.

For a healthy diet, replace unhealthy and fattening foods with healthier alternatives, such as fresh fruits and vegetables.

Fish is a great alternative to red meat. Fish is a healthy, lean protein and contains a type of fat called "omega-3," which may help protect the heart.

It takes time for the body to recognize that you have eaten and for the feeling of hunger to go away. Eating too quickly may cause you to eat more food over the same period of time as eating slowing and allowing your body to feel "full".

To lose weight, you must burn more calories than you eat. Exercise is the best way to do this. When you exercise regularly, you build stronger muscles, even if you do not work out with weights. Muscles use more calories than fat throughout the day, even while you are resting. This contributes to what is commonly called a "faster metabolism."

Slow and steady weight loss is the only way to avoid "yo-yo dieting," where you lose a great deal of weight, only to regain it within a few months or years. There are no miracles in weight loss; go for steady progress toward a healthier life.

Losing excess weight by eating a healthy diet is one of the best ways of helping to prevent disease. Obesity increases the risk of illness and death due to diabetes, stroke, coronary artery disease, and kidney and gallbladder disorders. The more overweight, the higher the risk becomes.