Countries covered: United States
Despite government efforts to promote a balanced diet through the Food Guide Pyramid, and numerous best-selling diet books, commercial diet programs and fitness options, the population as a whole continues to eat an unbalanced, high-calorie diet that leads to weight gain and its associated health problems.
A study published in the June 2004 issue of Journal of Food Chemistry and Analysis analyzed data from participants who reported all the foods they ate in the prior 24 hours. It found that 30% of the total calorie intake of Americans comes from four nutrient-poor food categories: sweets/desserts, soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, and salty snacks. Comparatively, the total calories derived from beef/pork, chicken/fish, vegetables, and dairy totaled 29.6%.
While many Americans are striving to eat a well-balanced diet, there is a significant gap in achieving a healthy diet. According to Mintel's analysis of the Simmons National Consumer Survey (NCS) carried out from January 2003-September 2003, 57% of respondents (adults aged 18 and over) are working on eating a well-balanced diet, yet only 43% of respondents consider their diet to be very healthy. Similarly, many Americans admit to unhealthy eating habits. Two thirds of respondents to the Simmons NCS agree that they "often" snack between meals and 49% frequently eat sweets.
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