Eleven years after its launch, 75% of Americans unaware of federal 'MyPlate' nutritional guidelines

Fully three-quarters of American adults are unaware of the federal "MyPlate" nutritional guidelines, with the program remaining stubbornly irrelevant in most Americas' lives more than a decade after its launch. 

A National Center for Health Statistics survey released on Tuesday revealed that "during 2017–March 2020, 25.3% of adults had heard of MyPlate," while over that same time period just 8.3% "had tried to follow the recommendations."

The study noted that "awareness of MyPlate decreased with increasing age, from 32.6% among adults aged 20–39 to 16.3% among adults aged 60 and over."

The debut of a plate-based graphic of food serving recommendations in 2011 replaced nearly two decades of "pyramid"-style food guidelines from the federal government. 

The rollout was promoted by then-First Lady Michelle Obama, whose "Let's Move!" campaign at the time was seeking to promote healthier eating habits and more exercise among the nation's youth.