Taking a bite out of poor nutrition
Don’t you hate it when good news is also bad news? Take the latest findings about Americans’ nutritional quality. Analysis of info on over 51,000 adults shows that since 2000, the number of folks who have a very lousy diet has decreased from 49% to around 38% of the population. But almost four of every 10 folks still have poor nutrition -- and that adds up to lots of health problems, from obesity to osteoarthritis, diabetes, cancer, dementia and depression. And while more people have an ideal diet today than did in 2000, it’s still less than 2% of everyone.
What did improve American’s dietary quality? Greater consumption of nuts/ seeds, whole grains, and poultry and less consumption of refined grains, drinks with added sugar, fruit juice and milk. The folks making the most improvements include younger adults, women, Hispanic adults, and people with higher levels of education, income, food security, and access to private health insurance. Unfortunately, even for them, the amount of fruits, vegetables, and fish/shellfish consumed is unchanged -- and far too low.
Folks who still struggle with nutritional quality include older adults, men, Black adults, and people with lower education, less income, food insecurity, or non-private health insurance.
Listen up, America. You may be taking a bite out of your health risks from poor nutrition, but it’s not enough to assure healthy longevity for a lot of you! So, tune into the free newsletter at Longevityplaybook.com that outlines how to upgrade your nutrition! And enjoy Dr. Oz’s blogs on healthy living at iherb.com.