But the pyramid itself lists no foods, requiring those motivated — and patient enough — to delve into the related Web site to find out how much and what they should actually eat. Based on a person’s age, gender and activity level, the site will (theoretically) serve up one of 12 different recommended plans.

“It appears to me that there is a ton of great information on the Web site, if people have access to the Internet and can take the time to really investigate, and are interested enough to read the information,” said Dr. R. Elaine Turner, assistant professor of nutrition at the University of Florida.

But those are some big ifs. “For one thing, you have to have a computer,” says Marion Nestle, author of “Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Health and Nutrition.” “Well, that cuts out a pretty significant segment of the population. This is dietary advice for people who have computers. And that is the segment of the population that probably needs it least.”