With New Dietary Guidelines Icon About to be Unveiled, Best Foods 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, Best Foods
Survey Reveals Americans Know Very Little About Fat ENGLEWOOD
CLIFFS, N.J., April 19 /PRNewswire/ -- 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 Best
Foods(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 Best Foods(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 need 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
Best Foods(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 Best
Foods(R) Real Mayonnaise. * The Best Foods 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, Best Foods,
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/
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