Americans are healthy... right?
Wrong. We all know Americans are a chubby lot. But we'd prefer to convince ourselves otherwise.
Nine out of ten Americans call their diet healthy, according to a new Consumer Reports poll. But how folks define healthy is far from nutritious, the survey found.
Few of us limit sweets or fats and only about a third of us eat five or more servings of fruits and veggies, according to the survey of about 1,234 adults interviewed last fall. Veggies are hard to store, or they go bad too fast, said 29 percent of respondents. Fourteen percent said they're too pricey. And another 13 percent said they just don't like 'em.
Worse still, folks don't seem to know how much they actually weigh. How's this for denial: One in three said they had a healthy weight, but actually had body mass indexes indicating they're overweight or obese. Even those on the slender side didn't have a good handle on their weight. Eight percent said they thought they were overweight when they weren't.
“Americans have a tendency to give themselves high marks for healthy eating, but when we asked how many sugary drinks, fatty foods, and fruits and veggies they consumed, we found that their definition of healthy eating was somewhat questionable,” said Nancy Metcalf with Consumer Reports Health. “We were surprised to find that very few Americans weigh themselves and count calories, two strategies that can help dieters stay on track. Americans seem to rely instead on their own internal compasses to slim their girths.”Baltimore Sun photo
