Food and Health 2015 Health Professionals Webcast

IFIC Foundation
Mission:

To effectively communicate science-based information on health, nutrition,
and food safety for the public good.
 Primarily supported by the broad-based food, beverage and agricultural industries.

Visit us @ www.foodinsight.org

International Food Information Council Foundation
Food and Health Survey 2015

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Continuing Education
 Participants of this live-event webcast who are
Registered Dietitians or Dietetic Technicians,
Registered are eligible for 1.0 Continuing Education
Units from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

 An email will be sent one hour after the completion

of this webcast with a link to download the
certificate.

 Continuing Education is only available for those preregistered for the live webcast today.
International Food Information Council Foundation
Food and Health Survey 2015

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Learning Objectives
 Explain the variety of influences on consumer purchasing decisions.

 Identify barriers preventing consumers from taking more control over
their health.

 Describe areas of misinformation, confusion and lack of
understanding related to nutrition and health.

 Distinguish ways to improve food and health communications to
empower consumers to take control of their diets, physical activity,

and weight.

International Food Information Council Foundation
Food and Health Survey 2015

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IFIC Staff

Today’s Speakers
Marianne Smith Edge, MS, RD, LD, FADA
Senior Vice President, Nutrition and Food Safety
smithedge@ific.org

Liz Sanders, MPH, RD

Sarah Romotsky, RD

Kris Sollid, RD


Manager, Food Safety
sanders@ific.org

Director, Health and Wellness
romotsky@ific.org

Director, Nutrients
sollid@ific.org

International Food Information Council Foundation
Food and Health Survey 2015

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2015

Background & Methodology
• This report presents the results of an online survey of 1,007 Americans ages 18 to 80.
• 2015 marks the 10th anniversary of the Food & Health Survey, allowing for trend analysis for
many questions.

• Fielding took place from March 13 to March 26, 2015.
• The duration of the survey was 29 minutes, on average.
• The results were weighted to ensure that they are reflective of the American population ages
18 to 80, as seen in the 2014 Current Population Survey. Specifically, they were weighted by
age, education, gender, race/ethnicity, and region.
• The survey was conducted by Greenwald & Associates, using ResearchNow’s consumer panel.

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Food and Health Survey 2015

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10 Year Insights

IFIC Foundation Food & Health Survey
• There is a disconnect between consumers’ perceptions of their weight status and health which
may interfere with the desire to make diet and behavior changes.
• Messages often fail to relate nutrients to foods we eat.
• Guidance to reduce intake of specific nutrients may be resented and therefore ignored.
• Food and nutrition practitioners, specifically RDNs, are underutilized.

• Future dietary guidance needs to address behaviors by understanding where consumers are.
• As the science-based experts in nutrition, RDNs must earn consumers’ trust as an authentic
source for advice rather than just delivering information.

International Food Information Council Foundation
Food and Health Survey 2015

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Key Findings

2015 IFIC Foundation Food & Health Survey
• Americans’ perceptions of their health do not always match up with reality.
• Consumers have competing priorities that sometimes outweigh making health-related
behavior changes.
• An economic divide may be emerging in food purchasing behaviors.
• Despite the variance in consumers’ interests in food, taste is still the top consideration.
• Americans want positive guidance to help them make sense of conflicting messages.

International Food Information Council Foundation

Food and Health Survey 2015

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Diet and Health

Consistent with previous years, more than half of Americans rate their own
health as excellent or very good.
How would you describe your own health in general?

57%
/V G

ARE IN EXCELLENT ERY OOD HEALTH

2015

2014


2013

Who is more likely to report being in better health?





College grads
Women
Higher income
Lower BMI , no non-communicable diseases

42%

40%

43%
33%


18%

17%

31%

30%

19%
8%

7%

7%
1%

Excellent

Very Good


Good

Fair

2%

2%

Poor

2015 n=1,007; 2014 n=1,005; 2013 n=1,006

International Food Information Council Foundation
Food and Health Survey 2015

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Diet and Health


Half of Americans who see themselves as in excellent or very good health are
overweight or obese.
BMI Score

Currently Being Treated For…
42%

Normal or low

23%

Overweight/Obesity

27%

Stress/Anxiety/Depression

Self-Reported Health

32%


Excellent/Very Good

26%

Good
28%
Obese

Diabetes
ADHD

Fair/Poor
Heart disease

41%
58%
3%

Refused to provide
height/weight

15%

High blood pressure

13%

Overweight

17%
24%

High cholesterol

4%

Osteoporosis
Cancer
Stroke

2%
None of the above

International Food Information Council Foundation
Food and Health Survey 2015

8%
9%
7%
4%

31%

41%
45%

20%

14%

13%

31%
25%

3%
3%
4%
2%
5%
7%
2%
2%
6%
1%
4%
9%