Grains of Truth About Fad Diets

1
Grains of Truth About Fad Diets Obesity

• Americans Realize Road to Good Health and Weight
  Loss a Long One

2
Grains of Truth About Fad Diets Obesity

• The consumers-eye view of
• Dieting
• Obesity
• Grains
• Grains of truth about dieting, obesity, and
  grains
• Communicating nutrition truths

3
The Gallup Survey

• What Gallup survey of 1,000 primary grocery
  shoppers
• Where Survey was conducted throughout the
  United States
• When Participants were questioned fall 2002
• How Phone interviews of randomly selected
  households were conducted
• Why To gauge consumer attitudes toward
  nutrition

4
Dont Believe the Fad Diet Hype

• 75 of shoppers believe high-protein, low-carb
  diets can be difficult to maintain
• 70 agree their bodies need carbs for energy and
  eliminating carbs is not healthy

5
Dont Believe the Fad Diet Hype

• 56 think high-protein, low-carb diets help you
  lose weight
• 61 think following a high-protein, low-carb
  diet is a safe way to lose weight
• 58 think carbs must be eliminated from the body
  to lose weight

6
Dont Believe the Fad Diet Hype
Percentage of dieters who have tried a
7
The Obesity Epidemic

• Percentage of Americans that are overweight or
  obese 64
• Percentage of Americans that correctly agree
  grain foods are not a cause of obesity 69

8
The Obesity Epidemic
According to parents of elementary/middle-school
children, who is responsible for teaching
children about nutrition?
Media/community organizations 2
Schools 11
Parents 87
9
The Obesity Epidemic
How often do parents talk to their kids about
maintaining a healthful weight?
Never 12
Dont know 2
Rarely 14
Often 52
Sometimes 20
10
Feeling Good About Grains
Consumers correctly agree grain foods can assist
with health-related problems
11
Feeling Good About Grains
Percentage of consumers who consider the
following foods healthful
Chicken noodle soup Breakfast cereals Peanut
butter jelly sandwiches Freshly baked
bread Crackers Cereal snack bars Muffins
12
Feeling Good About Grains
Agree enriched grain foodsare a good source of
folic acid
Agree folic acid is helpful inreducing the risk
of heart disease
Agree folic acid is helpfulin preventing birth
defects
13
Feeling Good About Grains
Percentage who agree that
14
Grains of Truth About Dieting

• High-protein, low-carb diets
• American Heart Association issued advisory
  warning of potential increased risk of
  cardiovascular disease
• University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
  study showed increased risk for kidney stones,
  bone loss
• Tufts University recently questioned validity of
  research supporting Atkins diets weight-loss
  claims

Sources American Heart Association, October
2001 American Journal of Kidney Disease (40,
2265-74, 2002) Tufts University Health
Nutrition Letter, January 2003
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Grains of Truth About Dieting

• Diets that eliminate enriched grains have dire
  consequences
• A study published in the Journal of the American
  Medical Society found grain fortification with
  folic acid could decrease coronary heart disease
• Neural tube birth defects decreased 23 following
  folic acid fortification of enriched grains,
  according to the Centers for Disease Control and
  Prevention

Sources Journal of the American Medical Society,
Aug. 22, 2001 Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, August 2002
16
Grains of Truth About Dieting

• Glycemic index as a diet method
• American Diabetes Association says glycemic index
  (GI) has limited value in diabetes prevention or
  in food selection
• American Dietetic Association notes a healthful
  diet should include a variety of foods, including
  grains, and not be based on a single marker

17
Grains of Truth About Dieting

• Healthy, long-term weight loss
• Factors for successful weight loss reported to
  the National Weight Control Registry include
  eating a low-fat, high-carb diet
• USDA study found high-carb dieters ate 300 fewer
  calories a day than low-carb dieters and were
  more likely to be in the normal weight range

Sources Obesity Research, 2002 (1078-82) USDA
Agricultural Research Service Journal of the
American College of Nutrition, June 2002
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Grains of Truth About Obesity

• Americans (eating larger portions and exercising
  less) are now 64 overweight/obese
• One in six American kids are overweight or obese
• Italy, France (where consumers eat more bread and
  pasta than Americans) boast lower obesity rates
• Asian diet (high in vegetables and grains)
  linked to lower rates of obesity heart disease,
  diabetes, and certain cancers

19
Grains of Truth About Grains
20
Grains of Truth About Grains

• Fiber
• Adds bulk to digestion assists with appetite
  control
• Soluble fiber can help lower blood cholesterol
• Insoluble fiber can help reduce risk of certain
  cancers
• Fiber in grain foods, especially insoluble fiber,
  may protect against diverticular disease
• Folic acid
• Helps prevent neural tube birth defects when 400
  micrograms (mcg) are consumed daily before
  pregnancy
• May help reduce risk of heart disease, some
  cancers, childhood leukemia, and Alzheimers

21
Grains of Truth About Grains

• Carbohydrates
• Provide energy for working muscles and the brain
• May have a positive effect on weight regulation
• Are protein-sparing and the most efficient source
  of energy
• Antioxidants/phytoestrogens
• May help reduce risks of some forms of cancer
• May help fight menopausal symptoms

22
Grains of Truth About Grains

• White bread
• Enriched flour
• Good source of iron, B vitamins (thiamin,
  riboflavin, niacin, and folic acid), and nearly 1
  gram of fiber
• Contains as many antioxidants as many fruits
  vegetables
• Wheat bread
• Enriched and whole-wheat flour
• Contains various amounts of fiber and
  phytonutrients
• Whole-wheat bread
• Whole-wheat flour
• Provides 2 to 3 grams of fiber per slice
• Contains numerous phytonutrients

23
Communicating Nutrition Truths

• Link nutrition education to health concerns
• Relate the nutrition message to something they
  already know
• Encourage adults to assess their own dietary
  practices
• Use active participation and learning, providing
  opportunities for social interaction/support
• Include food demonstrations, recipes, and
  practical tips
• Honor cultural backgrounds, local customs, and
  personal preferences
• Provide take-home materials, posters, and tip
  sheets on healthy eating

Source Contento, et al., (1995) Journal of
Nutrition Education
24
Communicating Nutrition Truths

• Divide responsibilities
• Parents should take responsibility for what,
  when, and where children are offered food
• Children should take responsibility for how much
  or whether they eat
• Focus mealtime energies on providing healthy
  foods and creating happy, positive,
  family-oriented eating experiences

Source USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research
Center at Baylor College of Medicine, Consumer
News Nutrition Your Child, Volume 3, 2002
25
Communicating Nutrition Truths

• Make snack time a healthy choice stock the
  kitchen with positive options and a variety of
  healthful foods
• Strike a balance at fast-food restaurants,
  allow children to pick a favorite food, but
  balance it with a healthy food like low-fat milk
  or a salad
• Lead by example studies show childrens eating
  habits tend to mirror those of their parents

Source USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research
Center at Baylor College of Medicine, Consumer
News Nutrition Your Child, Volume 3, 2002
26
Need More Nutrition Resources?

• www.wheatfoods.org
• www.usda.gov/cnpp