June 2011 Prepared Foods-- A recent Harris Poll surveyed 2,379 adults online to evaluate their perception of nutritional awareness when purchasing food and beverages. The results find U.S. adults appear aware of basic nutritional facts of the products they buy and how to manage their weight. As the Harris Poll evaluation notes, however, “whether or not awareness translates into behavior is still in question.”
According to the results, as Americans age, they develop stronger purchasing preferences and habits with regard to healthier choices. Matures (66+ years old) are the most likely of all generations to pay close attention to nutritional facts and translate their health consciousness into behavior, perhaps because they are more likely to need to follow a diet with specific restrictions, such as with low salt and sugar. As the Harris Poll indicates, “The differences in eating habits among age groups suggest that actual behavioral change may, to some extent, be more driven by necessity than by knowledge.”