Sept. 27 (CBSHealthWatch)--Despite public efforts to educate people about the benefits of eating food high in nutrients and low in calories, a new study says that most Americans are doing the reverse--we're hooked on fatty, junk food.

Currently, the United States Department of Agriculture recommends high intake of whole grain products, fruit and vegetables versus food rich in fat and calories. In a large study, researchers found that among 15,000 Americans surveyed, one third of their energy came from what researchers called energy-dense, nutrient-poor (EDNP) food, which the USDA puts at the tip of the food pyramid.

"People tend to have a junk-food tooth," says Ashima Kant, lead author of the study and associate professor of nutrition at Queens College of City University of New York. "There are definitely nutritional consequences. This kind of dietary pattern can top the consumption of the five food groups recommended by the nutrition food guide including dairy, fruit, meat, grains and vegetables."

In the study, researchers analyzed the database of the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1988 to1994. They found that EDNP provided 27% of energy intake overall, a similar finding to the second NHANES data from 1976 to 1980.

Jackie Berning, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association says that the findings are not surprising. There is social pleasure in the interaction and the psychology behind eating, she says, and people tend to pick the food based on the taste and not on the nutrient content.

"People should realize that they can make halfway decent food choices and decrease the risk of the diseases that are killing most Americans," says Berning, an associate professor of nutrition at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs. "They can eat normal food, and it’s a matter of putting it into a pattern, fitting it into their lifestyle."

Berning points out that there is a misperception about healthy food in the general public. Many people believe that they have to give up tasty food to adopt a healthy diet, but "people can have a healthy diet that tastes good," says Berning. "All foods can fit in. People put the rich food in at the expense of nutrient rich foods--there has got to be a balance."

Diane Quagliani, a registered dietician and a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, says that people tend to view healthy diet as a time-consuming effort.

"Most people understand the importance of nutrition, but not many are following it," says Quagliani. "People seem to be tipping the balance in favor of the tip instead of the five food groups recommended in the pyramid."

The study is published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Top