Forecast
Nutrition & You – Trends for 2009
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Dec 28, 2008 - 2:31:52 PM

(HealthNewsDigest.com) - As 2008 comes to a close, it is a good time to look at where the average American stands when it comes to nutrition knowledge and the use of that information in their daily lives. Since 1991, the American Dietetic Association has conducted 6 surveys to measure people’s attitudes, knowledge and behavior regarding food and nutrition. What does the average American really know about eating well – not as much as he/she should.

Consumers can be roughly grouped into 3 categories: I’m already doing it (action oriented), I know I should (awareness but little action), don’t bother me (uninformed or uninterested), which is the group that needs more consumer education. The good news is the “don’t bother me” group has declined by almost half since 2002. That is an achievement for nutrition professionals – their message is getting through. Other positive trends show that young people are more likely to be interested in eating well and exercising and the number of people who are actively seeking information about eating healthy has doubled since 2000.

Information about low fat foods and foods containing trans fat has been heard by over 70% of those surveyed and more than 50% have cut back on the amount of trans fat they eat. People also report eating less sugar, alternative sweeteners, and low carb foods. Fewer than 20% of consumers are familiar with allergen-free foods or foods containing probiotics. Those are interesting observations as food allergy labeling has been around since 2004 and foods with added probiotics are one of the fastest growing groups in the marketplace. The amount of soy, garlic, berries, omega-3 fatty acids and low sodium foods has remained constant despite the fact that increased consumption of all but sodium will have positive health benefits. With all the information about the negative consequences of a high sodium intake, people do not seem to be acting on the advice.

The majority of people have increased their consumption of whole grain foods, fruits and vegetables, all positive trends. Whole grains made the most strides with 94% of respondents stating whole wheat bread is healthier than white bread, a fact backed up by research. An interesting aside to the whole grain issue, 6 respondents, all men, noted that they believed white bread was healthier than whole wheat. We can only hope the women in those households are doing the shopping and selecting the types of bread eaten.

Over 50% of those surveyed stated that organically grown foods were healthier than traditional foods. Currently research findings are inconclusive on this issue but consumers overwhelming believe this is fact and may be paying a premium price because they think organic foods are nutritionally superior. Organic foods do have fewer pesticide and chemical residues but the nutritional quality is almost identical to those grown or raised traditionally.

Since 2000, there has been a shift in the primary sources people use for food and nutrition information. Consumers still get most of their information from TV and magazines. Newspapers have seen the largest decline in use but all traditional sources have dropped in popularity except for the internet. Currently 24% of people get food and nutrition information on the internet, double the amount that used this source in 2002. When it came to ranking the most credible resources for food and nutrition information, consumers believe dietitians, nutritionists, doctors and nurses as most credible, but only 22% rated the internet as credible. Fewer than 10% of those surveyed believed food manufacturers when they claimed their products were nutritious and healthy.

As a population, Americans seem to know more about food and nutrition than they did when the American Dietetic Association surveys began 17 years ago. But having knowledge and actively putting it to use are two totally different things. We’ve all got a long way to go – resolve to make healthier food choices and learn more about nutrition in 2009.
© NRH Nutrition Consultants, Inc.

Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and the author of the nutrition counter series for Pocket Books with 12 current titles and sales in excess of 7 million books. The books are widely available at your local or on-line bookseller.
Current titles include:

The Complete Food Counter, 3rd ed., 2009
The Fat Counter, 7th ed., 2009
The Healthy Wholefoods Counter, 2008
The Cholesterol Counter, 7th Ed., 2008
The Diabetes Carbohydrate and Calorie Counter, 3rd Ed., 2007
The Calorie Counter, 4th Ed., 2007
For more information on Jo-Ann and her books, go to www.TheNutritionExperts.com.

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