Friday July 9, 2010

Consumers Don't Connect Calories To Weight

Washington, DC — Consumers show a lack of understanding when it comes to calories and their relationship to body weight, according to a survey.

According to the International Food Information Council Foundation’s survey of 1,024 adults, 58 percent of consumers make no effort to balance calorie intake with activity.

However, only 19 percent keep track of calories as a tool to manage their weight. Of the participants, 12 percent said they can accurately estimate the number of calories they consume in a day, and 43 percent do not know how many calories they burn.

Further, while 85 percent of consumers have heard of the food pyramid, 71 percent have not used it.

Fifty-three percent of survey participants say they’re concerned about the amount of sodium in their diet and are likely to look for sodium content on Nutrition Facts panels, while fewer shoppers are concerned with fat content and less frequently seek out the information on labels.