With New Dietary Guidelines Icon About to be Unveiled, Hellmann's Survey Reveals Americans Know Very Little About Fat
19 April 2005 - 3:01PM
PR Newswire (US)
With New Dietary Guidelines Icon About to be Unveiled, Hellmann's
Survey Reveals Americans Know Very Little About Fat ENGLEWOOD
CLIFFS, N.J., April 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- With the federal
government getting ready to release a new, updated dietary
guidelines icon for the first time in five years, a recent consumer
survey by Hellmann's(R) Real Mayonnaise reveals that the nation is
confused about a key component of the guidelines: fat. Just
slightly more than half of respondents (55%) passed the
Hellmann's(R) "Facts On Fat" survey, which was constructed in the
form of a test, with the average "grade" being a dismal 58*. Not
one person 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
imminent release of the new dietary guidelines icon, 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 On 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:UL)(NYSE: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 $10 billion in sales in 2004. For more information
visit http://www.unilever.com/. DATASOURCE: Unilever CONTACT:
Camille Payne, +1-212-880-5366, , or Michele Benoit,
+1-212-880-5363, , both of Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, for
Unilever Web site: http://www.unilever.com/ http://www.mayo.com/
Copyright
Unilever NV (NYSE:UN)
Historical Stock Chart
Von Jun 2024 bis Jul 2024
Unilever NV (NYSE:UN)
Historical Stock Chart
Von Jul 2023 bis Jul 2024