Final answer:
The downsides of food guides include challenges from the food industry with oversized portions and unhealthy ingredients, the promotion of unsustainable fad diets, and the lack of personalization for individual dietary needs.
Step-by-step explanation:
The downside of food guides can be seen in several aspects. First, the food industry, with its larger portion sizes and increased use of solid fats and added sugars (SOFAS), can make it challenging to adhere to dietary guidelines. Additionally, the sedentary nature of modern life complicates the ability to balance calorie intake with expenditure. Secondly, fad diets often recommended by food guides may promise rapid weight loss but can lead to health issues such as strain on the kidneys and nutritional deficiencies. These diets are not sustainable and can result in weight regain after returning to old eating habits. Lastly, food guides can sometimes inadequately account for the personalization of nutrition, as individuals have different dietary needs based on factors like age, gender, activity level, and health conditions.
While food guides like MyPlate provide useful general advice, such as balancing calories and avoiding oversized portions, they can fail to accurately represent all nuances of a healthy diet. Also, heavy reliance on processed foods, which may be encouraged by convenience as per some food guides, can lead to health risks such as increased chances of cancer, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.