DIET | DETECTIVE^®

Will Americans still be eating greasy fast food in the years to come? Or will we take the more sensible route and stick with fruits and veggies? The American Dietetic Association (ADA) just released a national public opinion poll, Nutrition and You: Trends 2000, which focuses on what's changed and what's remained the same about the way we view nutrition. "Americans are more informed about diet and nutrition than they ever were before," says Claudia Gonzalez, R.D., spokesperson for the ADA, "but it's still hard to get people to make [healthy] changes." One of the biggest changes over the past 10 years, Gonzalez says, is the popularity of vitamin supplements and the way people learn about nutrition. "The Internet has changed the way people look at their diets; they're much more aware of smart food choices," she observes. Here, a few highlights from the poll:

Americans are talking the talk
85 percent say that diet and nutrition are important to them personally.
84 percent say that exercise is very important to them personally, marking a 15 percent increase over 1997.

...but are they walking the walk?
Only 47 percent say they're doing more to achieve a healthy diet than they did two years ago, and 43 percent they haven't made any changes over the past two years.
75 percent of those who had not made any dietary changes say that they don't want to give up the foods they like.
57 percent of those people say it takes "too much time" to keep track of their diets.

They're buying supplements
49 percent say they take vitamin or mineral supplements every day (with a higher percentage of adults over 55 taking them) compared to just 35 percent of Americans in 1997 who thought supplements were necessary.

...but they're not buying into the trend toward herbal remedies
Despite plenty of hype over the past several years, 61 percent say they never use herbal products, such as ginseng or ginkgo biloba, and only 12 percent say they use these types of products daily.

They're giving up white bread
90 percent believe that whole grain breads and cereals are healthier than "regular" bread products.

...but not going organic
Only 52 percent believe that organically grown fruits and vegetables are healthier than nonorganic ones.

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