Many Americans Still Choose Fatty Foods
NEW YORK - New research shows that one third of adults still select whole milk over skim milk, and more than 80 percent add butter or some other type of fat to their baked potatoes and bread, Reuters reports.
Researchers at Texas A&M University in College Station conducted a survey of 5,649 individuals aged 20 years and older to find out more about Americans' fat intake, and the results were published in the April issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
Overall, the percentage of adults who said they consistently followed certain low-fat dietary guidelines ranged from 8 percent to 70 percent, the report indicates.
Almost half of the adults surveyed reported trimming fat from their meat, removing skin from their chicken and rarely eating potato chips. On the other hand, fewer than 20 percent of those surveyed said they regularly ate baked or boiled potatoes without adding butter, margarine or sour cream, that they avoided putting butter or margarine on their bread, that they always selected low-fat cheese or that they ate fruit for dessert.
Women were reportedly more likely than men to say that they avoided red meats, eggs, high-fat sauces on vegetables, and butter or margarine on their bread. Women were also more likely to report removing skin from their chicken, and substituting lower-fat luncheon meats, dairy desserts and salad dressings for higher-fat alternatives, the findings show.
"Results from this study identify dietary behaviors that should be targeted in dietary guidance messages about reducing fat intake," noted one of the researchers.
Researchers at Texas A&M University in College Station conducted a survey of 5,649 individuals aged 20 years and older to find out more about Americans' fat intake, and the results were published in the April issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
Overall, the percentage of adults who said they consistently followed certain low-fat dietary guidelines ranged from 8 percent to 70 percent, the report indicates.
Almost half of the adults surveyed reported trimming fat from their meat, removing skin from their chicken and rarely eating potato chips. On the other hand, fewer than 20 percent of those surveyed said they regularly ate baked or boiled potatoes without adding butter, margarine or sour cream, that they avoided putting butter or margarine on their bread, that they always selected low-fat cheese or that they ate fruit for dessert.
Women were reportedly more likely than men to say that they avoided red meats, eggs, high-fat sauces on vegetables, and butter or margarine on their bread. Women were also more likely to report removing skin from their chicken, and substituting lower-fat luncheon meats, dairy desserts and salad dressings for higher-fat alternatives, the findings show.
"Results from this study identify dietary behaviors that should be targeted in dietary guidance messages about reducing fat intake," noted one of the researchers.