Overall eating habits improved but the rate of substitution is very slow.
Lately, a couple of studies resurfaced, showing that American food habits are improving. Although more and more US citizens chose to eliminate fast-food products from their daily menu, researchers point out that the substitution rate is slow and sluggish.
The research endeavor was conducted by representatives from Harvard University and the study was published this Monday in Health Affairs. It clearly shows, that over the past few years, Americans have grown more aware of what they eat and when to eat. Each day, more and more people decide to switch from junk food to higher quality foods.
Prompted by the ever increasing number of organic food, popping up all over the market, American food habits are improving. We are looking at a decrease concerning the consumption of high-fat fast-food products and sugary beverages.
Although overall food habits are changing all over the United States, specialists say the rate of improvement is not enough to counter the effects of junk food.
The study took into account the eating habits of approximately 33.885 American families over the course of 14 years. It started in 1999 and it ended in 2012. Result have proven that by adopting a healthy diet, approximately 1.1 million premature deaths were avoided. Furthermore, there seems to be an overall decrease in other diseases associated with poor table habits.
Numbers show that, between 1999 and 2012, there was a 12 percent decrease in type 2 diabetes incidence. Also, heart diseases decreased by nearly 8 percent and, surprisingly, stomach and bowel cancer incidence dropped by 1.3 percent.
Nutritionists from all over the country hail the American consumer’s initiative of switching to healthier food habits and expect the numbers to increase even further in years to come. They also pointed out that the prime cause leading to junk food consumption seems to be directly related to its price.
American citizens tend to choose junk food in detriment of healthy organic food because it is much cheaper and it doesn’t take that long to prepare it.
Also, specialist warned the general public about another thorny issue, concerning what children eat at school. Remember those movies where the protagonist went to the school’s cafeteria in order to get a bite and the food looked like something coming out of a Stephen King’s novel? It seems that things in real life tend to follow those clichés closely.
All over the US, school cafeterias seem to sacrifice healthy food, which is, to some extent more expansive, to food poor in nutritional values.
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