America Gets An 'F' In Fat
18 Januar 2005 - 5:20PM
PR Newswire (US)
America Gets An 'F' In Fat Hellmann's 'Facts About Fat' Survey
Reveals That A Nation Obsessed With Fat Actually Knows Very Little
About It ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., Jan. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
With the federal government having just released the new dietary
guidelines, a new consumer survey by Hellmann's(R) Real Mayonnaise
reveals that the nation is confused about fat. Just slightly more
than half of respondents (55%) passed the Hellmann's(R) "Facts
About Fat" survey, which was constructed in the form of a test,
with the average "grade" being a dismal 58*. No one in the survey
actually scored an "A," or above 90. A nation preoccupied with
nutrition-94% express some level of concern about personal diet and
nutrition, while six in 10 (60%) report limiting their intake of
fat-is ill-informed when it comes to fat, with little recognition
of the positive role that fat can play in a balanced and healthy
diet. For example, most people (93%) think they should consume less
fat than is actually recommended-with half of respondents
underestimating by 50%. And almost three out of ten (29%) don't
realize that certain fats can help reduce or maintain healthy
cholesterol levels. Weighing The Good and The Bad (Fats, That Is)
When the survey drilled down on specific kinds of fats,
particularly good versus bad fats, Americans really didn't make the
grade. For example, although trans fats are consistently in the
news due to their unhealthy nature a little over a third of the
respondents (34%) erroneously believe that it is a good fat. The
numbers for monounsaturated fats, prized for their association in
lowering the risk of heart disease when substituted for foods high
in saturated fatty acids (SAFA), are even more lopsidedly wrong.
Almost the entire survey (96%) checked off the "bad fat" box when
the opposite is true. Corn oil and common vegetable oil in general
are routinely categorized as bad fats by almost two out of three
respondents (average of 63%) but they actually fall into the good
fats column. "Clearly Americans needs to buckle down and get an
education when it comes to the dietary fats in their diets," said
Lisa Hark, Ph.D., R.D., and author of the newly released book,
Nutrition For Life. "With the release of the new dietary
guidelines, and with fat becoming an increasingly important part of
the national discussion on nutrition, people need to have a basic
understanding of fat and the beneficial health affects that certain
fats have in their lives." Dispelling The Myths About Mayonnaise
Not surprisingly, Americans' erroneous views about fat can leave a
bad taste in their mouth when it comes to everyday foods, and
mayonnaise is at the top of the list. According to the
Hellmann's(R) "Facts About Fat" Survey, just one in four
respondents (24%) agrees that mayonnaise contains a healthy fat.
The fact is, mayonnaise has a balance of smart dietary fats and
fatty acids including mono and polyunsaturated fats, and omega-3
(ALA) and omega-6 (LA) essential oils. These are important to
overall health and well-being when substituted for other products
high in saturated fatty acids (SAFA) & cholesterol or
substituted for other healthy fats, when caloric intake is not
increased. Almost eight out of ten (79%) believe that mayonnaise is
high in saturated or bad fat, which is just plain wrong. And four
in ten (41%) believe that it's best to never have mayonnaise in the
diet, when simply adding a tablespoon of mayonnaise (10g
fat/serving, 1.5g saturated fat/serving, 0g trans fat/serving and
5mg cholesterol/serving) a day is a smart way to include a balance
of healthy fats while adding taste, when substituted for products
high in SAFA and caloric intake is not increased. "What people
don't realize is that, for many reasons, mayonnaise is the right
food choice for your everyday diet," said David Blanchard, Senior
Vice President of Research and Development & Supply Chain,
Unilever. "It's a food made up of simple, wholesome
ingredients-oil, water, eggs, and vinegar-that together form an
excellent source of dietary fats, when substituted for other
products high in saturated fatty acids and cholesterol and when
caloric intake is not increased. And it's a great flavor-enhancer
as well." Visit http://www.mayo.com/ for easy and delicious recipes
using Hellmann's(R) Real Mayonnaise. * The Hellmann's Facts On Fat
Survey was conducted online using the Ipsos-Insight Online Access
Panel. The survey included a quiz to gauge knowledge of fats and
general nutrition habits. The sample size was 364 adults ages 21+.
The margin of sampling error is +/- 5 percent. About Unilever
Unilever (NYSE:ULNYSE:UN), one of the world's largest consumer
products companies, aims to add vitality to life by meeting
everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and personal care. Each day,
around the world, consumers make 150 million decisions to purchase
Unilever products. The company has a portfolio of brands that make
people feel good, look good and get more out of life. In the United
States these brands include recognized names such as: Axe, "all,"
Ben & Jerry's, Bertolli, Breyers, Caress, Country Crock,
Degree, Dove personal care products, Eternity by Calvin Klein,
Hellmann's, Lipton, Knorr, Popsicle, Promise, Q-Tips, Skippy,
Slim-Fast, Snuggle, Suave and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand
names are registered trademarks of Unilever. Dedicated to serving
consumers and the communities where we live, work and play,
Unilever in the United States employs more than 15,000 people in 74
office and manufacturing sites in 24 states and Puerto Rico -
generating approximately $11 billion in sales. For more information
visit http://www.unilever.com/ DATASOURCE: Unilever CONTACT:
Camille Payne, +1-212-880-5366, , Bethany Eppner, +1-212-880-5261,
, both of Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide Web site:
http://www.mayo.com/
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