Nutrition
and You: Trends
2000
Did you know
that Americans get their nutrition and food information
primarily from television and magazines? This tidbit of
information and other interesting facts are highlighted
in a new public opinion survey called Nutrition and You:
Trends 2000. Published by the American Dietetic Association
since 1991, this biennial, comprehensive survey measures
nutrition attitudes and behaviors of Americans. So, how
are we doing when it comes to adopting healthful eating
practices?
A little more
the a quarter of respondents (28 percent) said that they
are "already doing it", meaning they had made positive
changes in their eating habits. Forty percent of the respondents
indicated that they know they should eat a healthful diet
but haven't taken the steps for one reason or another.
Finally, 32 percent of those surveyed said they not concerned
about healthful eating. The good news is that the percentage
of individuals adopting healthful eating habits has increased
two percent since 1997. The bad news is that more and more
people know they should eat healthfully but have not made
any changes in their diets.
Most people
who said that they are doing the same or less with their
diets indicated that not wanting to give up their favorite
foods was the primary reason. Other reasons why those surveyed
failed to make positive dietary changes included satisfaction
with current eating habits, lack of understanding of nutrition
guidelines, and the perception that eating more healthfully
was time consuming. Ironically, the sale of nutrition supplements
has increased as Americans attempt to get healthy through
non-food sources. In fact, over half of all adults take
a vitamin or mineral supplement every day.
Nutrition
science is an exciting field as new information emerges
daily about the relationship between diet and health. March
is National Nutrition Month and a perfect time learn
more about nutrition. For more detailed information about
food and nutrition and to see the entire Nutrition and
You: Trends 2000 survey, visit the American Dietetic
Association's web site at http://www.eatright.org/. |
