Americans finally are eating healthier - Nutrition - American Dietetic Association research - Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), Oct, 2002

More Americans are seeking information on food and nutrition, tuning in to healthful-eating messages, and taking action to improve their nutrition and health than at any time in the past decade, according to findings of an American Dietetic Association public opinion survey. Every two years for more than a decade, the ADA has surveyed a representative sample of the nation's adults on important issues in food and nutrition. A number of the questions were new for 2002, while several have been asked in each survey since 1991 to track the evolution of people's attitudes, knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors.

Each of the surveys has grouped Americans into three categories, based upon responses to questions about the importance of nutrition and physical activity in their lives and whether they feel they are doing all they can to achieve a healthful diet. The categories are:

* "I'm Already Doing It." These are people who say they have made significant adjustments in their eating behavior during the past two years to achieve a healthful, nutritious diet.

* "I Know I Should, But...." These individuals feel they know what healthful eating behavior is and that they should eat a healthful diet, but for one reason or another haven't done so.

* "Don't Bother Me." These are people who--whether or not they feel informed about healthful eating--have decided it's not a concern of theirs.

The ADA's 2002 survey shows 38% of Americans fall into the "I'm Already Doing It" category, by far the largest percentage in that group in the survey's history. In 2000, 28% said they were "already doing it," the largest percentage to date at that point. Individuals who fall into the "I Know I Should, But ..." category dropped to 30%--the lowest ever in this category--from 40% in 2000. The percentages for the third category, "Don't Bother Me," were unchanged from 2000 to 2002, holding at 32%. That is down significantly from a high of 40% as recently as 1997.

"These key indicators of people's attitudes and behavior toward nutrition and physical activity have held remarkably stable over the past two years," ADA spokesman Keith Ayoob observes. "It's very encouraging that consumers both recognize the related importance of diet and exercise and appear to be consistently making efforts to keep themselves and their families healthy."