As the U.S. struggles with a rising obesity rate and its effect on national healthcare costs, Americans’ dietary and nutritional choices may be more important now than ever before. Gallup’s annual Consumption Habits survey provides insight into the decisions Americans make when they dine at restaurants and at home.
Here are five key highlights from the 2013 survey:
- Doctors encourage healthy diets: About two-thirds of Americans report that their doctors share the benefits of a healthy diet with them.
- Most Americans eat fast food regularly: Eight in 10 Americans report eating at fast-food restaurants at least monthly, with almost half saying they eat fast food at least weekly.
- Americans tend to ignore nutritional information while eating out: Less than half of Americans, 43%, say that they pay a "great deal" or a "fair amount" of attention to nutritional information on menus.
- Americans are more likely to review nutritional information on food packages: A majority of Americans, 68%, say that they pay at least a fair amount of attention to nutritional labels on food packages.
- Young and nonwhite Americans most likely to drink regular soda: About half of young adults and nonwhite Americans drink regular soda. This compares with about one in three Americans overall who do so.