Trivia: 2007 Food & Health Survey

In May 2007, the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation released its 2007 Food & Health Survey, whose results were based the responses of 1,000 American adults who completed a 120-question web-based survey. Some findings:

Health Status

• 39% of respondents rated their health status as "excellent" or "very good." Those who are more likely to rate their health as "excellent" or "very good" include those who have an income of $100K+, have some college education or higher, consider themselves to have a healthful diet, have a "normal" BMI, and are physically active.

• Only 2% of respondents listed their health status as "poor," but 5% of respondents said they were "not at all satisfied" with their health status, and 20% said they were "not very satisfied" with their health status!

Weight

• 4% of respondents said they were underweight, 28% said ideal weight, 59% said overweight, and 9% said obese, but based on respondents' reported height and weight, 1% were underweight, 30% were normal weight, 33% were overweight, and 36% were obese.

• 52% reported that they had not discussed their weight with their healthcare provider in the past year, 34% said that they had discussed their weight with their healthcare provider in the past year, and 14% had not been to a healthcare provider within the past year.

• 56% reported that they were trying to lose weight, 23% that they were trying to maintain weight, 18% that they were not doing anything, and 3% that they were trying to gain weight.

Diet

• 7% of respondents rated their diet as "extremely healthful," while 58% of respondents rated their diet as "somewhat healthful" or "healthful," and 20% described their diet as "not very" or "not at all" healthful. Individuals who rate their diet as unhealthful include those who rate their health at "fair" or "poor," are dissatisfied with their health status, have a BMI in the obese range, and describe themselves as sedentary (physically active less than three days per week).

• 66% of respondents said they had made changes within the past six months to improve the healthfulness of their diet. The main reasons for the dietary changes: to improve overall wellbeing, to lose weight, and to improve physical health.

• 11% of respondents correctly estimated how many calories someone of their age, weight, and height should consumer per day, while 15% overestimated, 43% underestimated, and 31% did not answer.

• 20% of respondents were unsure of the relationship between calories and weight gain.

• 72% of respondents were concerned about the amount of fat they consume and 72% were concerned about the type of fat they consume. At the same time, awareness of healthful fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats), which are recommended to be consumed in larger amounts is limited, and has declined since the initial survey in 2006.

• 55% reported being concerned with the amount of carbs they consume and 52% were concerned with the types of carbs they consumed.

• 40% of respondents reported not limiting their caffeine intake, 48% reported actively limiting or trying to limit caffeine intake, and 12% reported having eliminated caffeine.

• 90% of respondents said that breakfast was "extremely" or "somewhat" important, but only 49% actually reported eating breakfast every day.

Physical Activity

• 84% of respondents were physically active for health benefits at least one day per week, while 16% were not physically active.

• Regarding activity in general, 13% reported that they were active, 59% that they were moderately active, and 28% that they were sedentary.

Trivia: 2007 Food & Health Survey

Health Status

Weight

Diet

Physical Activity

Discuss This Article

Find a Job

Things To Do

About the Author

The MedHunters Ezine Team

Link to This Article