Despite dietary concerns, most Americans haven't changed their eating habits
Americans talk a lot about healthy eating, but they don't always back up their words with action. That's the finding of a new report, "The Impact of Dietary Concerns on Food and Beverage Selection," just published by the NPD Group's National Eating Trends (NET) Service.
While a substantial percentage of homemakers indicated they're strongly concerned about cholesterol, fat, salt, and sugar, the number of them actually following a modified diet to limit intake of those ingredients was quite small.
And despite negative reports on red meat and eggs, some 85% of all U.S. households serve beef in their homes on a regular basis, while 84% continue to use eggs routinely.
The households polled maintained diaries on their total in-home food and beverage consumption habits. This behavioral information was then compared to attitudinal data collected at a later date from the same households.
Major findings from the report include the following:
- The 1980s was a decade of growing awareness for health and nutrition, with homemakers expressing increased cau-tion about all harmful substances, except, surprisingly, sugar.
- Salt was the top worry five years ago, but now fat and cholesterol have the greatest impact on consumers.
- Egg consumption varies little between those who are anxious about fat/cholesterol and those who are less concerned.
- Beef remains the most popular protein, and frying is still the favorite way to prepare all meat/protein sources, regardless of fat/cholesterol awareness.
- Homemakers who are strongly concerned about sodium actually consume 15% more soup than those who are less concerned.
- Since 1985, consumers see cholesterol and fat as major health concerns, while additives and salt doubts have stayed about the same. Preservatives and caffeine have shown no change, while apprehension about sugar has actually lessened by 20% since 1985.
Overall, in a given two-week period, some 28% of adult females are on a diet, while 21% of adult males and only 3% of children follow this course.
Dieting for Americans has pretty much stabilized since 1985. Dieting does increase with age, however. Older females (65+ years) diet the most, with 41% participating, while only 17% of women aged 18-34 watch their food intake.
Executives rate top five marketers
IBM, Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola, Ford, and Sony were named by chief executive officers as the top five marketers in the world, according to a study released by United Research, a New Jersey- and London-based management consulting firm.
The study, which polled the readers of Chief Executive magazine, evaluated CEO perceptions about time-based management, particularly those related to a company's success at being first to market with new products.
When asked to name the companies that they perceived as the top three marketers in the world, 50 percent of the 311 CEOs who responded named IBM, 20 percent named Procter & Gamble, 18 percent named Coca-Cola, 14 percent named Ford, and 12 percent named Sony.
Many shoppers read food product labels
A recent TeleNation survey, conducted by Market Facts Inc., found that Americans are steady, if not voracious, readers of food product labels. Using a ten-point scale, where ten was "always" and one was "never," respondents were asked, "How frequently do you read the list of ingredients on food product labels?" Thirty-nine percent said they "always" read the label, 34% said "sometimes," 16% said they "rarely" read the label, and 11% said they never did so.