Dietary guidelines influence consumers
ranges based on the recently released dietary guidelines should
perhaps do so, according to new research.
A study published last week by the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) found that 40 percent of consumers who are very familiar with the guidelines are very likely to change their eating habits.
However, for the moment only 9 percent of Americans said they were very familiar with the dietary recommendations and a more substantial 22 percent were somewhat familiar with them.
As the government and health officials put more emphasis on the importance of the guidelines for the nation's well-being, this figure will no doubt increase and the possibilities for food companies to benefit from them will likewise surge.
The survey found, moreover, that 10 percent of consumers said they were likely to change their eating habits as a result of the new guidelines, regardless of their current level of awareness.
"We should all capitalize on this marketing gift by further promoting this science-based dietary advice and making a concerted effort to provide consumers with great tasting produce wherever they shop or dine," said Kathy Means, PMA vice president of government relations.
Food manufacturers should also think about whom their products are aimed at; women and those earning a higher wage were most likely to change their eating and purchasing habits because of the guidelines. Eleven percent of women and 13 percent of high-income earners were likely to try and eat healthier, while only 7 percent of men subscribed to this way of thinking.
Age also proved to be a significant factor with 14 percent of people between the ages of 46 and 55 altering their food shopping because of the guidelines, while only 3 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 30 and 6 percent of those between the ages of 31 and 45 were very familiar with the new guidelines.
The updated dietary guidelines were published in January. Among 41 individual recommendations, the key messages of the new guidelines focused on calorie control and exercise. Consumers were encouraged to choose foods carefully in order to get the most nutrition out of calories consumed.
Foods from every food group should have a part to play in a healthy, balanced diet - in particular fiber-rich foods, vegetables and whole grains.
The US is currently in the grip of an obesity epidemic, with almost two thirds of Americans overweight or obese. While the guidelines do seek to aggressively tackle the epidemic, this is not their sole or primary function.
The science-based advice on how a good diet can promote health and reduce the risk of disease is applicable to all people over the age of two years, no matter what their weight.
Dietary guidelines, now in their sixth edition, are drawn up every five years by the HSS and Department of Agriculture (USDA).
