Table of Contents
Introduction & Abbreviations
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- Other relevant reports
- Definition
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Executive Summary
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- Americans have poor eating habits
- Poor eating habits are leading to myriad health problems
- Many more adults need to lose weight than are currently dieting
- The image of what constitutes healthy eating is beginning to change
- Convenience rules
- The American palate is increasingly diverse
- An aging population will affect dietary needs and habits
- Outlook
Trends in Eating Habits and Health
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- Eating habits and diet influence health outcomes
- The majority of Americans are overweight or obese
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- Figure 1: Incidence of overweight and obese Americans aged 18 and older, 1994-2002
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- Graph 1: Incidence of overweight and obese Americans aged 18 and over, 1994-2002
- Figure 2: Prevalence of obesity among U.S. adults, 1991, 1995 and 2000
- Children are increasingly overweight
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- Figure 3: Incidence of being overweight, 6-19 year olds, 1976-2000
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- Figure 4: Penetration of obesity and all other households buying low-cal/diet products—selected categories, 2003
- Dieting behavior
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- Figure 5: Dieting behavior, January 2003-September 2003
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- Figure 6: Dieting behavior, by gender, January 2003-September 2003
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- Figure 7: Dieting behavior, by age, January 2003-September 2003
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- Figure 8: Dieting behavior, by household income, January 2003-September 2003
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- Figure 9: Dieting behavior, by race/ethnicity, January 2003-September 2003
- Leading nutritional content concerns among consumers
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- Figure 10: Nutritional label concerns, January 2003
- Consumer opinions about fattening foods
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- Figure 11: Opinions about fattening foods, January 2003-September 2003
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- Figure 12: Opinions about fattening foods, by gender, January 2003-September 2003
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- Figure 13: Opinions about fattening foods, by age, January 2003-September 2003
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- Figure 14: Opinions about fattening foods, by household income, January 2003-September 2003
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- Figure 15: Opinions about fattening foods, by race/ethnicity, January 2003-September 2003
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- Figure 16: Opinions about fattening foods, by educational status, January 2003-September 2003
- Diabetes is much more prevalent
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- Figure 17: Attitudes toward diets and nutrition, February 2004
- Food consumption patterns are chaotic
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- Figure 18: Top 10 food groups contributing to energy intake among Americans, 1999-2000
- Attitudes toward snacking/sweets
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- Figure 19: Opinions about snacking/sweets, January 2003-September 2003
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- Figure 20: Opinions about snacking/sweets, by gender, January 2003-September 2003
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- Figure 21: Opinions about snacking/sweets, by age, January 2003-September 2003
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- Figure 22: Opinions about snacking/sweets, by race/ethnicity, January 2003-September 2003
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- Figure 23: Opinions about snacking/sweets, by educational status, January 2003-September 2003
Changes in Consumers’ Conceptions of what it Means to Eat Healthy
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- Atkins and other low carb diets have garnered respect and adherents
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- Figure 24: Incidence of low carb dieting, February 2004
- Functional foods gain in popularity
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- Figure 25: Buying behavior, functional foods, August 2003
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- Figure 26: Cross-tabulation: specific food purchases and functional food purchasing habits, August 2003
- More Americans are interested in vegetarian and organic foods
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- Figure 27: Attitudes towards health, all vs vegetarians, January-June 2003
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- Figure 28: Regular consumption of vegetarian foods and dairy milk alternatives, October 2003
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- Figure 29: Attitudes toward organic food, 2003
- Consumer behaviors and opinions about nutrition
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- Figure 30: Diet and nutrition behavior and beliefs, January 2003-September 2003
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- Figure 31: Diet and nutrition behavior and beliefs, by gender, January 2003-September 2003
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- Figure 32: Diet and nutrition behavior and beliefs, by age, January 2003-September 2003
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- Figure 33: Diet and nutrition behavior and beliefs, by household income, January 2003-September 2003
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- Figure 34: Diet and nutrition behavior and beliefs, by race/ethnicity, January 2003-September 2003
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- Figure 35: Diet and nutrition behavior and beliefs, by educational status, January 2003-September 2003
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- Figure 36: Diet and nutrition behavior and beliefs, by marital status, January 2003-September 2003
Convenience is Key for Consumers
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- Home cooking on the decline
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- Figure 37: Number of meals cooked in the home, by household size, 2001
- Less time and less skill for meal preparation
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- Figure 38: Food preparation habits, February 2004
- Consumer attitudes about cooking
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- Figure 39: Food preparation attitudes and beliefs, January 2003-September 2003
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- Figure 40: Food preparation attitudes and beliefs, by gender, January 2003-September 2003
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- Figure 41: Food preparation attitudes and beliefs, by age, January 2003-September 2003
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- Figure 42: Food preparation attitudes and beliefs, by household income, January 2003-September 2003
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- Figure 43: Food preparation attitudes and beliefs, by race/ethnicity, January 2003-September 2003
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- Figure 44: Food preparation attitudes and beliefs, by marital status, January 2003-September 2003
- Source of meals
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- Figure 45: Meal types eaten at least three times in the previous week, February 2004
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- Graph 2: Meals eaten at least 3 times in the past week, February 2004
- Consumer opinions and behaviors toward easy to prepare meals
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- Figure 46: Attitudes toward easy to prepare meals, January 2003-September 2003
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- Figure 47: Attitudes toward easy to prepare meals, by gender, January 2003-September 2003
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- Figure 48: Attitudes toward easy to prepare meals, by age, January 2003-September 2003
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- Figure 49: Attitudes toward easy to prepare meals, by household income, January 2003-September 2003
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- Figure 50: Attitudes toward easy to prepare meals, by ethnicity/race, January 2003-September 2003
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- Figure 51: Attitudes toward easy to prepare meals, by marital status, January 2003-September 2003
- Consumers are slow to embrace healthy lifestyles
Changes in Eating Patterns
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- The American palate is more diverse
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- Figure 52: U.S. Population by race and Hispanic origin, 2000-2002
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- Figure 53: Immigration to the U.S. by region of origin, 1997-2002
- Figure 54: Immigration to the U.S. by country of origin, 1997-2002
- Travel helps to influence taste
- A growing interest in food exploration
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- Figure 55: Interest in food exploration, January 2003-September 2003
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- Figure 56: Interest in food exploration, by gender, January 2003-September 2003
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- Figure 57: Interest in food exploration, by age, January 2003-September 2003
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- Figure 58: Interest in food exploration, by household income, January 2003-September 2003
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- Figure 59: Interest in food exploration, by race/ethnicity, January 2003-September 2003
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- Figure 60: Interest in food exploration, by educational status, January 2003-September 2003
- The effect of an aging population
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- Figure 61: American population by age, 1998 and 2003
The Future
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- Government and public policy efforts will ramp up
- Diet franchises will continue to be part of the American landscape
- Convenience will continue to drive meal choices but not at the expense of taste
- Population changes will continue to influence eating habits
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- Figure 62: Projected population of the U.S, by age, 2000 and 2010
- Graph 3: Projected population of the U.S, by age, 2010
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- Figure 63: Projected population percentages of the U.S., by race/ethnicity, 2000 and 2010
Appendix: Trade Associations
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