The 2013 International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation’s 2013 Food & Health Survey has revealed some interesting takeaways on the average American’s perception of their overall health, weight, diet and exercise habits.
 
In a webinar presented by the IFIC Foundation, Marianne Smith Edge, MS, RD, LD, FADA, senior vice president, Nutrition and Food Safety, outlined the study’s key findings, and presented data that reflect consumer attitudes.
 
Overall, the study found that the vast majority of Americans (91%) believe they’re in good, very good or excellent health, and overwhelmingly people feel they have a high amount of control over their diet (88%), their physical activity level (90%) and their weight (81%).
 
However, when the survey asked respondents if their generation is the healthiest generation of Americans, few believed that they were. Actually, only 17% felt strongly or somewhat agree that their generation is the healthiest generation of Americans, with those 65+ agreeing more with this sentiment more than any other group.
 
In terms of their diets, consumers tended to rate the healthfulness of their diet much better than they actually are. On a scale of A through F (with A being the highest and F being the lowest score), Americans on average rated their diet at a B-, while a C- is a more realistic grade, according to the survey.
 
Despite their skewed perception of healthy eating habits, Americans are consciously making choices about their food to improve their diet. Over the past year, 88% of consumers reported eating more fruits and vegetables; 82% cut calories by drinking water, low- or no-calorie beverages; and 78% reported eating more whole grains in an attempt to improve their diet. Additionally, respondents cut back on foods with high amounts of added sugar (75%); consumed smaller portions (73%); cut back on foods higher in salt (70%) and solid fats (66%); opted for lower sodium processed foods (60%); cut back on full dairy fat (60%); and counted calories (54%).
 
With so many consciously trying to improve their diet, it’s no wonder just more than half of all Americans are trying to lose weight, while 27% report trying to maintain their weight.
 
In fact, when asked if they would rather lose $1,000 or gain 20 pounds, 56% said they would rather take a hit to their wallet than gain the extra weight. “If you think about the 20 pounds, frankly it does outweigh the money, as it would cost more than $1,000 to lose it with weight loss programs, and the potential health issues and related costs resulting from the potential weight gain,” Dr. Edge explained. Women were more likely to prefer to lose the money than men (63% to 48%), and as one would expect, as an individual’s income increased, so did their likelihood to choose losing the money versus gaining the weight (47% of individuals who made less than $35,000 per year versus 68% of those who made more than $75,000 per year).  
 
In general, it seems that American’s have good intentions at heart, but often have a hard time keeping track of their calorie intake, or understanding how calories cause weight gain. Nine out of 10 Americans concerned with calorie intake said they would find it helpful if calorie count was shown on more menus, packaging and in recipes. Additionally, six out of 10 said they would use tools from websites or smartphone apps to help count calories. And they really need the help—only three out of 10 realized that all sources of calories influence weight gain equally.
 
While digesting this information, Americans prefer to hear the positive take away on what they can eat, and what’s beneficial to their health, rather than what’s to be avoided. Most (78%) strongly or somewhat agree that they would rather hear what they should eat rather than what they should not eat.
 
For a video of everyday Americans in the nation’s capitol responding to several of the IFIC Foundation’s survey questions, visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=pcWSttXT23E