American Diets Vary Widely, Many Fall Short of Guidelines

A new survey of 8,272 Americans’ eating habits, unsurprisingly confirms that many in the US fall short of nutritional recommendations. The study, conducted by the USDA's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, compared what people said they ate to nutritional guidelines published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The study’s authors found that children and the elderly generally ate a healthier diet than younger and middle aged adults, and that women ate better than men. Differences were also noted along racial lines, with Hispanics generally enjoying higher-quality diets than blacks or whites. Similarly, income appeared to play a factor, as higher income adults generally met more of the guidelines. No group, however, came close to meeting all of the recommendations. In recent years, the American diet has come under close scrutiny, due to an explosion in the public rates of obesity, diabetes and heart-disease. The researchers suggest Americans eat more fruits and vegetables and increase their levels of physical exercise.