One-Third of Americans Are Dieting, Including One in 10 Who Fast … While Consumers Also Hunger for Organic, “Natural” and Sustainable

Download Full Survey FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 16, 2018 More than one in three U.S. consumers are following a specific diet or eating pattern, and they are increasingly averse to carbohydrates and sugar, according to the 13th Annual Food and Health Survey, released today by the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation. Given a list of diets to choose from, or the option to write in a response, 36 percent of Americans reported following a specific eating pattern or diet within the past year, about two-and-a-half times the number (14 percent) from 2017 when it was an open-ended question. The top eating pattern cited was intermittent fasting (10 percent). Diets considered at least somewhat restrictive of carbohydrates were well-represented, including Paleo (7 percent), low-carb (5 percent), Whole30 (5 percent), high-protein (4 percent), and ketogenic/high-fat (3 percent). Younger consumers (age 18 to 34) were more likely to follow a specific eating pattern or diet than those 35 and above. More Americans than in previous years blame carbs, and specifically sugars, for weight gain. While sugars continue to be the most cited cause of weight gain (33 percent), carbohydrates ranked second at 25 percent, up from 20 percent in 2017. Both of those numbers are the highest since 2011. Fats (16 percent), protein (3 percent) and “all sources” (17 percent) lagged behind when placing blame. Cardiovascular Health Is Top Desired Benefit, But Consumers Don’t Know How To Achieve It Almost all consumers are interested in getting specific health benefits from food or nutrients. However, the top two desired health benefits in 2018 changed places from 2017: This year, 20 percent ranked cardiovascular health as their top desired benefit, followed by weight loss or weight management at 18 percent and energy at 13 percent. In 2017, those numbers were 16 percent, 32 percent […]

Media

Diet-Proof Your Diet

Ahh, February. The official month of candy hearts, slushy grey weather (at least in DC) and getting real about health goals. The rosy optimism of our New Year’s diet resolution has faded, and it’s time to be a little bit more realistic. Maybe your three day cleanse lasted about six hours (believe me, I’ve been there…), or perhaps your “Whole 30” was more of a “Whole 7.” No matter how dire your crisis of will power or how epically you fell off the diet wagon, this is no time to beat yourself up. Instead, let’s look at four ways to diet-proof our diets. These tips will give you longer lasting results than any cleanse… and they are infinitely more fun: 1. Spot the fads and steer clear The first step of diet-proofing is to stop the fads in their tracks. These days it seems like there is a new diet fad born every minute. One week it’s Keto, and the next it’s some new super-cleanse. Though these attempts at “biohacking” may come in all shapes and sizes, they usually have a couple things in common… including big, unproven claims. See a diet that promises quick fixes to health problems or rapid weight loss? Approach with caution. Even if a diet plan helps you lose weight rapidly, chances are it isn’t healthy or feasible to sustain over the long run. 2. Honor your internal cues Instead of overhauling your diet completely, resolve to get to know your internal hunger and fullness cues. Using a hunger scale can help you differentiate actual hunger from boredom or stress. You can also use the scale to rank your fullness during the meal, so you can finished when you are satisfied and avoid that uncomfortable, overstuffed feeling. 3. Get acquainted with MyPlate The Dietary Guidelines for […]

article

Fast Take: The EAT-Lancet Report on Sustainable Diets

Key Highlights Report states that feeding 10 billion people by the year 2050 with a healthy and sustainable diet will be impossible without changing eating habits, improving food production and reducing food waste. There are some similarities between the current US Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the EAT-Lancet Report’s diet recommendations. However, they differ in their recommendation on the consumption of sugars, red meat and dairy notably. While this report calls for further sustainable food production practices, consumers should not overlook the environmentally focused techniques that are currently employed to produce a wide variety of healthy foods across the globe with natural resource conservation in mind. Feeding our ever-growing population will take the diligent work of many farmers and food producers. As we ponder how much food needs to be produced to feed us all, should we also consider the ecological demands that food production takes? Many of us do. This week, a globally represented group of scientists released a report on this topic. The EAT-Lancet Commission released the “Healthy Diets From Sustainable Food Systems” report showcasing new dietary recommendations focused on enhanced plant-based food consumption to increase the health of our populations. The report also issues advice on altering food production practices to be more environmentally sustainable and increase the health of our planet. What is the EAT-Lancet Commission? EAT is a global non-profit that aims to connect science, policy, business and society to achieve their mission of transforming the global food system through sustainable diet and agricultural production practices. Their primary goal is “to achieve planetary health diets for nearly 10 billion people by 2050.” What Nutrition Recommendations Are in The Report? Let’s take a closer look at what the report recommends and how it compares to another well-known set of evidence-based dietary recommendations: The current US Dietary […]

article

How MyPlate has replaced the food pyramid as a tool for a balanced diet.

Media

Parents and Caregivers are Focused on Their Kids’ Nutrition, but Obstacles to Healthy Eating are Common

(Washington, D.C.)— Our dietary habits as young children have an especially strong influence over how we eat for the rest of our lives, demonstrating the importance of promoting good nutrition early on. Yet the past year has shone a spotlight on the challenges of raising children while balancing many other priorities. Understanding the decisions made by parents and caregivers—and the hurdles they face while trying to provide food for their children—provides valuable information for improving the dietary habits of children nationwide.     A new survey by the International Food Information Council (IFIC), “Knowledge, Understanding and Behaviors When Feeding Young Children,” examines how parents and caregivers consider current diet recommendations for kids ages 2 to 10, how they interpret and implement nutrition advice, and what information sources adults rely on when making food and dietary choices for children.  While parents and caregivers report having good access to nutrition information and overall feel confident that they’re meeting their child’s nutritional needs, many cite obstacles, such as how to introduce variety into kids’ diets and how to translate aspirations into positive behaviors.   “As a parent myself, the contrast between knowing what a healthful diet looks like and actually getting a child to eat nutritiously is extremely relatable,” said Ali Webster, IFIC’s director of research and nutrition communications. “We all want to provide the best we can for our kids, and this research highlights that when it comes to nutrition, the decisions parents and caregivers make around their children’s diets aren’t always straightforward – everything from taste, price and nutrition to personal and cultural preferences need to be considered.”  Eating Habits of Young Children  When asked about the consumption of different types of foods, two in three respondents (69%) said their children eat dairy products two or more times a day, while 74% and 63% said their kids eat protein and fruit two or more times per day, respectively. Just one in five (19%) said their child eats grains at least three times a day. While 91% said that their children eat vegetables at least once per day, only one in five (19%) said they eat them 3 or more times daily.  Indeed, vegetables emerged as […]

Media

Healthy Eating on Campus: 101

Imagine that the minivan is packed with fresh twin XL sheets and too many plastic drawers and bins to bother counting. You get to campus to unload and before you know it, your teary-eyed family drives away leaving you on your own. With this moment comes a new-found independence and the responsibility of making your own decisions for the first time- including decisions about what to eat! Dining on campus often involves buffet style dining with a wide variety of foods. Limited time, money, space, and cooking equipment also means you may have to adapt your normal routine to eat healthy on campus.  Below are tips and tricks that can help you navigate your way through the campus dining environment and create your own balanced meals to keep yourself healthy! 1. Get to know your options. When eating a la carte or buffet style in the dining hall, you may be faced with more options than you’re used to. Check out your school webpage or ask the campus dining staff where you can find the nutrition information of the foods served. Many campuses even offer students services from registered dietitians! 2. Tune in to your hunger cues. When you are busy, it can be tough to always remember to stop and eat. But remember that skipping meals may cause you to eat more than you need later. Establish a meal-time routine around your classes and extracurricular activities. Also, get to know your hunger and fullness cues with mindful eating. 3. Make your plate look like MyPlate. Aim to have three square meals per day using your meal plan. When selecting your food items, picture the MyPlate visual to help you create a well-rounded meal with proper serving sizes.  4. Save any extra servings or items rather than over eating. Instead of forcing down the […]

article

New Dietary Guidelines Aim To Make Every Bite Count

The 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) were unveiled in late December of 2020, the culmination of years of research, scientific review, public involvement and U.S. government approval. This release marks the 9th edition of the DGA, which have been updated and approved by the Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) every five years since 1980. What, exactly, are the DGA? These guidelines provide science-based advice on what to eat and drink to promote health, reduce the risk for chronic disease and meet nutrient needs. The DGA provide nutrition guidance for individuals, health professionals, public health and social service agencies, health care and educational institutions, researchers, agricultural producers and food and beverage manufacturers, among others. In addition, the U.S. government uses the DGA as the basis of its food assistance and meal programs, nutrition education efforts and decisions about national health objectives. These include initiatives like the National School Lunch Program, the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. Using the slogan, “Make Every Bite Count,” the 2020–2025 DGA emphasize nutrient-dense foods and beverages, limiting those that are high in added sugar, saturated fat and sodium and staying within calorie limits. This iteration also puts a stronger focus on meeting dietary recommendations while keeping budget-consciousness, cultural preferences and personal customization in mind. Many resources have been made available by the USDA and HHS to help people eat healthy on a budget, customize the DGA and more. The DGA are an unquestionably important part of public health promotion. And yet, for many, these recommendations may prove to be challenging to meet: Most Americans exceed the recommended limits on added sugars, saturated fat and sodium, and three in four have dietary patterns that are low in vegetables, fruit and […]

article

Playing The Long Game: Why Progress On Food, Nutrition & Health Takes Persistence, Patience & Positivity

For the second time in fifteen years, the importance of good nutrition beginning in childhood is at the forefront of national politics. In 2010, Michelle Obama launched Let’s Move!, a campaign aimed at solving childhood obesity within a generation. Today, the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement takes up the mantle, focusing on decreasing diet-related chronic diseases in children, including obesity. What may feel like déjà vu is actually an important reminder: while the names and faces may change, nutrition remains a powerful and enduring public health priority. The benefits of consuming nutrient-dense diets are undeniable – longevity, greater productivity, improved quality of life, and lower healthcare costs, to name just a few. Simply put: eating well matters. Good nutrition must begin in childhood. And, Americans still have a long way to go before realizing the health and well-being benefits of greater diet quality. These are facts that most of us can agree on. Where consensus often falters is in how to empower and support Americans to eat healthier, so that they can be healthier. Discerning Disruption From Chaos What do we do if our efforts to increase diet quality in the U.S. have been unsuccessful? Some people are fans of disruption – I’m one of them. Disruption can be a powerful catalyst for change when rooted in science, data, and an understanding of human behavior. Others call for scrapping current approaches entirely. This approach can be less helpful as improving public health while also preserving public trust takes time and energy as well as some degree of consistency. In addition, changing long-standing habits and achieving measurable and meaningful gains at the population level often spans generations. Making America Healthier At IFIC, our north star is the consumer. If we can appreciate where Americans stand –perceptions, emotions, intentions, and behaviors […]

insights