We were scratching our heads over this one: Experts on a panel that is supposed to rewrite food pyramid guidelines don’t want to the new rules to target the obese.

Aren’t those the very people who would benefit from food guidelines? And isn’t that the very population whose numbers are rising in the United States?

In a way, though, the experts have a point. It’s not the pyramid that needs to change, it’s the American people &045;&045; and the American food industry.

The impetus to change the food pyramid is the right one, but it isn’t really what needs to be done &045;&045; we need a more concerted effort that uses businesses and schools and even communities to take on the challenge of fitness.

Take a look at cities that have undertaken a plan to overcome obesity. When Philadelphia was named the &uot;Fattest City in America&uot; in 2000, the city’s government and civic groups banded together to beat that label. The mayor created a health and fitness department and appointed a &uot;health czar.&uot; The city has worked hard to provide its residents with healthy choices, and the efforts are paying off.

But as anyone who has scoffed at a lawsuit filed against McDonald’s for its fat content knows, personal responsibility is the most important factor here. A government &045;&045; or other entity &045;&045; can encourage all it wants, but people have to make the decision to change.

Most Americans are not overweight because they have followed the food guide pyramid. They are overweight because they haven’t followed the basic rules of fitness &045;&045; eating less, eating the right foods and exercising.

The food pyramid is designed for the healthy person who does watch what he or she eats everyday and exercises on a daily basis.

The government is right to want to target obesity, but simply changing rules that are already working isn’t going to solve anything.

Providing healthy choices, on the other hand, can be a step in the right direction.