Survey Highlights Lack of Nutrition Knowledge

Reporter: 
Food Business News

In its fifth year, the IFIC survey is designed to gain insight into how consumers view their own diets, the efforts they are taking to improve them, how they balance diet and exercise, and their actions when it comes to food safety practices. The survey was conducted with 1,024 adults over a two-and-a half-week period in April and May 2010.


Key findings:



  • Of those consumers who say they are trying to lose or maintain their weight, only 19 percent said they are keeping track of calories.

  • Almost half of the consumers surveyed also could not identify how many calories they burn in a day or offered inaccurate estimates.

  • With regard to tracking the calories consumed during the day versus calories burned, 58 percent of the survey’s respondents said they do not make an effort to balance the two.

  • Seventy percent of respondents said they are concerned about their weight status.

  • Seventy-seven percent said they are trying to lose or maintain their weight.

  • When asked what actions they are taking, most respondents said they are changing the amount of food they eat, the type of foods they eat, and engaging in physical activity.


The article notes a new topic added to this year’s survey was sodium consumption. Fifty-three percent of the respondents said they are concerned with the amount of sodium in their diet. Six in 10 said they regularly purchase reduced or lower sodium products. Among those who do purchase the reduced or low sodium items, the most cited products included canned soup, snacks and canned vegetables.


Thirty-eight percent of the respondents also said that low-calorie, artificial sweeteners may play a role in weight loss or weight management, and 34 percent said the sweeteners may reduce the calorie content of foods. Thirty-two percent said they consume low-calorie, artificial sweeteners to help with calorie management, according to the survey.