WASHINGTON—Weight issues lay heavily on the minds of American consumers, as the majority of Americans report they are concerned about their weight status and are actively trying to lose or maintain their weight. However, a new survey from the International Food Information Council (IFIC) found most Americans lack some basic skills to make appropriate dietary and lifestyle changes.
For example, 58 percent of survey respondents said they don’t make an effort to balance calories in/calories out, and only 12 percent could accurately estimate the number of calories they should consume in a day. Among consumers who are trying to lose or maintain weight, only 19 percent are keeping track of calories. What they are doing is changing the amounts (69 percent) and types (60 percent) of foods they eat; 65 percent of Americans said weight loss is a top driver for improving the healthfulness of their diet.
On a more positive note, just over 70 percent of Americans have heard of the Dietary Guidelines and even more (85 percent) have heard of MyPyramid. They are also focusing less on dietary fat on the Nutrition Facts Panel, and seeking out fiber and whole grains. Of course, for 86 percent of shoppers, taste remains the biggest influence on purchasing decisions, followed by price, healthfulness and convenience.
This emphasis on watching food intake for weight loss does pose possibilities for marketers of dietary supplements, particularly those that could help shoppers cover nutrients that might be lacking in a reduced calorie diet. Duffy MacKay, N.D., vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs at the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), noted many consumers on a weight loss or reduced calorie diet may cut out certain foods such as dairy and red meat that are higher in fat, but also deliver key nutrients such as calcium, iron and B vitamins. “In a restricted calorie diet, there is a definite need to fill nutrient gaps,” he said, adding he has seen has seen patients use managed weight loss diets that supply pre-packaged foods for all meals suggest certain supplements to fill nutrient gaps.
