The familiar food pyramid has been replaced by a wordless, rainbow-colored symbol that promotes a dozen different eating plans and a new emphasis on exercise.

Named MyPyramid, the new icon is the US government's latest weapon in the fight against obesity. The new eating guidelines include 12 different eating plans designed as an interactive system.

The multicolored pyramid features a staircase that a figure is climbing and the slogan "Steps to a Healthier You." Unlike the 1992 food pyramid, which showed pictures of food and recommended servings in horizontal bands, the new logo consists of vertical stripes of varying widths that represent food groups.

The revamped program aims to persuade Americans to make gradual changes to improve the quality of their diet. It encourages Americans to know their daily calorie limits and stay within them by eating nutrient-rich foods, but is not intended as a diet tool, US Department of Agriculture officials said.

The produce industry had been lobbying for a plate-based symbol that would devote half its space to fruits and vegetables. A plate and other simple messages, such as curbing soft drinks and switching to low-fat dairy products, would have been more easily understood by consumers than MyPyramid, some nutritionists said.

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