Nutrition & Obesity Publications
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Winter 1999 What We Eat in America
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Source: USDA CSFII, 1994-96, individuals 2 years of age
and over; ARS, Beltsville Human
Nutrition Research Center, Food Survey
Research Group.
Survey findings indicate that people's behavior does not always reflect their beliefs. Two-thirds of adults think it is very important to choose a diet with plenty of vegetables and fruits; however, fruit and vegetable consumption has increased only slightly since the late 1970's. About two-thirds of adults eat more than the recommended dietary allowance of fat, but only half think they eat too much fat. Eighty-five percent of adults think it is important to use sugars only in moderation, yet Americans consume an average of 20 teaspoons of added sugars a day-accounting for 16 percent of calories. They also know that regular physical activity improves health, but 44 percent of adult females and 28 percent of adult males report that they rarely or never engage in vigorous exercise. The survey data can be used to monitor the nutritional adequacy of American diets, determine how well Americans use and understand food labels, develop nutrition programs for those who need them most, estimate exposure of population groups to food contaminants, and assess the demand for agricultural products. The Department of Health and Human Services and USDA have agreed to integrate the CSFII and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to form one national food and nutrition survey beginning in the year 2000. This coordination of activities will help strengthen the methods and technologies for collecting information on the population's nutrition and health status to further the science of nutrition monitoring. Survey highlights, charts, tables, and fact sheets can be viewed on
the USDA Food Survey Research Group's (FSRG) website at www.barc.usda.gov/bhnrc/foodsurvey/home.htm.
Also contained at this site are instructions on how to order survey products
such as publications on survey methods and results, and CD-ROM's containing
survey questionnaires, methods, and procedures. You may also call FSRG
at (301) 734-8457 for more information. |
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