I think you are right, but I would think that the USDA, rather than drug companies, would have more to do with the food pyramid, after all it's agriculture that gets the whopping 6-11 servings per day. BUT, it's also hard to keep track of all these umbrella corporations. It wouldn't surprise me if, should I investigate, pharmaceuticals and junk food manufacturers were part of the same conglomerate.

Having said that, I think you are right in that everything comes down to bottom line. If you aren't making money, what's the point. Health care, particularly in the US, has become pretty corrupt. I know because my husband, who is a doctor, experienced it first hand when we moved to the US. We quickly returned to Canada when the year's commitment was up.

Pharmaceuticals spend a lot of time convincing doctors that natural supplements don't work. It's easy to do since they have such easy access to doctors. Furthermore, their motivations are questionable. I was on an experimental drug years ago (a prostrate cancer drug used to treat endometriosis) which I later found out had been approved through fraudulent experimentation. This drug didn't work, but the doctor was paid by the pharmaceutical company to alter his data. The doctor lost his license but nothing happened to the pharmaceutical company. To further add insult, this doctor was then hired by the pharmaceutical company. Even worse, OB/GYNs weren't even appropriately informed of the situation and still to this day prescribe this drug.

I don't think the government consciously decides to save money by withholding appropriate health advice. However, they are at the mercy of powerful corporations for contributions. Ultimately, they become slaves of big business demands.