|
September 2, 2025
2010 Food, Nutrition and Health Survey
The International Food Information Council Foundation’s fifth annual Food & Health Survey provides insight into consumers’ eating, health and physical activity habits, as well as food safety practices. A number of new questions were added to the 2010 Survey to better understand attitudes, knowledge and practices relating to caloric intake versus exercise, physical activity levels and motivators, protein, sodium and caffeine. This study has been conducted annually in a nationally representative sample of American adults since 2006.
Two-thirds of those surveyed (64%) reported making changes to improve the healthfulness of their diet. Among those seeking to improve their diet, losing weight was the main motivator (65%) and maintaining weight was another key motivator (16%). When asked what actions they were taking, most said they were changing the amount of food they ate (69%); changing the type of foods they ate (63%); and engaging in physical activity (60%). Similarly, losing or maintaining weight was the main motivator (35%) for those who said they were physically active; however, a large majority of people (77%) were not meeting current physical activity guidelines.
The results show a lack of understanding of “calories in” and “calories out” and their relationship to weight. For example, 58% did not make an effort to balance calories consumed with calories burned. Only 12%could accurately estimate the number of calories they should consume in a day and most said they did not know how many calories they burn in a day or offered inaccurate estimates. Although 77% of all survey participants claimed to be trying to lose or maintain weight, only 19% of those said they kept track of calories, which can be a tool for those trying to manage weight.
For Your Practice
The 2010 Survey highlights that efforts toward achieving healthy diets and weight goals are impacted by a lack of understanding about calorie requirements, among other issues. The findings provide insight into knowledge, perceptions and actions on a wide range of nutrition and food safety issues, including dietary fats, carbohydrates and protein, food labeling, food guidance and safe food handling. Health and nutrition professionals can use this insight when counselling patients on healthy eating.
Want to Learn More?
To view the Executive Summary and the Full Report, 2010 Food & Health Survey: Consumer Attitudes toward Food Safety, Nutrition and Health, visit the International Food Information Council.
|