Rebecca Wright07.14.06
Nearly six Americans in 10 (58%) acknowledge that they do not eat a balanced diet on a regular basis, according to a new survey* commissioned by the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), Washington, D.C. Although 81% of those asked said that eating a balanced diet was important, only 20% say they eat a balanced diet every day.
The survey results also showed that nearly half of U.S. adults (46%) take a multivitamin regularly**, and 41% take a multivitamin every day. More than 90% of multivitamin users agree that multivitamins ensure they are able to get the nutrients they need for a well-balanced diet and overall healthy lifestyle.
The survey clearly makes the point that most people recognize they do not obtain the recommended amount of essential nutrients from their diet alone, said Andrew Shao, Ph.D., vice president for Scientific and Regulatory Affairs at CRN. Multivitamins can help fill that nutrient gap, and in a way thats safe, convenient and affordable. The best solution, of course, is to do bothget a balanced diet and take a multivitaminand CRN urges all Americans to take that course.
Other survey findings include:
Women are more likely than men to regularly take a multivitamin. Half of women (50%) compared to about 2 in 5 men (41%) report taking a multivitamin.
Older people are more likely than younger people (under age 50) to regularly take a multivitamin. Fifty-four percent of people age 50 or above regularly take a multivitamin, compared to 39% of adults under the age of 50.
Females are more likely than males to say that eating a balanced diet is very important (87% vs. 74%).
*The omnibus survey of 1025 adults 18 years of age or older was conducted June 22-25, 2006, using Opinion Research Corps CARAVAN National Omnibus. The margin of error for the survey is plus or minus three percent.
** "Regularly Takes a Multivitamin is defined as individuals who take a multivitamin five or more days a week.