September 19, 1995
Web posted at: 10:15 a.m. EDT
From Correspondent Holly Firfer
(CNN) -- Remember the days when a hot dog was just a hot dog and ice cream was just ice cream? Now these formerly guilty pleasures and just about every other sort of food comes in a hodgepodge of incarnations: "fat-free," "low-fat," "sugar-free" and the eternally mysterious "lite." And then there's exercise. Are you supposed to feel the burn or not? Americans want to do the right thing, a new study reports, but with all this information, they're just not sure how to go about it.
The American Dietetic Association, in a newly released two-
year survey of more than 800 adults, found that those polled
were beset by misconceptions and confusion. CNN's impromptu
stakeout in a food court backed up these findings.
Some comments from eaters-on-the-street:
"I guess the most confusing thing is 'ultra-light' or 'fat- free'," said one woman.
"The whole obesity thing confuses me," said another. Exactly what aspect of obesity research? "The whole area," another person said. "I'm not sure which one."
Clearly, "awareness has increased," observed Alicia Moag- Stahlberg of the American Dietetic Association. "However, there has been a decrease of those who say they are doing all they can. There's been more information about nutrition and sometimes that information has been more confusing."
According to the poll, Americans struggle most to maintain healthy eating habits. Their biggest fear: giving up tasty favorite foods in favor of a better diet. Some frustrated noshers said that it was too difficult to keep track of what they ate, or to spend precious time interpreting arcane nutrition messages.
"Sixty-eight percent of the respondents said they are
confused because the advice or the reports are conflicting,
said Moag-Stahlberg, "That things seem to be changing."
One new sign of the times, the revamped nutrition facts label, garnered rave reviews. Sixty-eight percent of those polled said they read the label more often than they did two years ago -- and actually understood it.
Exercise also rated high as Americans take to the streets and the gym. In fact, more people said they would rather exercise regularly than be careful about the foods they eat. That's not surprising, said Moag-Stahlberg.
"The advice about exercise has been consistent over the years," she noted. "The message has stayed the same, and because there hasn't been any flip-flopping, people have been able to continue with that effort rather than choosing a healthy diet."
Forty-two percent of poll respondents said they get their nutrition information from television, followed by magazines and newspapers. However, more than half said the most valuable advice comes from the experts: dietitians and doctors.
In case all this eating insight proves as confusing as a "low-fat, high-fiber, all natural" label, Moag-Stahlberg offered this bottom line. "What (the study) tells us is that awareness has never been higher," she said. "But what we need to do is really move people to the next level and give them the type of information they want to choose a healthful diet." And according to the poll, most people just want the facts -- served straight-up.
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