020508 Fatty Foods Still Too Tempting for Americans

New York - Although many Americans have adopted the healthy eating practices recommended by various health professionals, one third of adults still select whole milk over skim milk, and more than 80% add butter or some other type of fat to their baked potatoes and bread, researchers report.

"Results from this study identify dietary behaviors that should be targeted in dietary guidance messages about reducing fat intake," according to Dr. Oral Capps Jr. of Texas A&M University in College Station and colleagues.

Their findings, published in the April issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, are based on a survey of 5,649 individuals aged 20 years and older.

Overall, the percentage of adults who said they consistently followed certain low-fat dietary guidelines ranged from 8% to 70%, the report indicates.

For example, roughly 45% or more 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% 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.

Further, while roughly 35% of individuals said they always drank fat-free or 1% milk, about one-third of their peers said they never used these lower- fat substitutes in place of 2% or whole milk, the researchers found.

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.

"Consumers have gotten part of the message and they've made steps to reduce fat intake," Sheah Rarback, a Florida-based spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, said. "Some good next steps would be trying to have fruit for dessert, choosing fat-free milk and adding low-fat cheese to the diet."

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