Americans must do better with our eating habits

For generations Americans have been obsessed with nutrition. From listening to conversations or reading up on the latest food trends, one might be led to assume that our nation is moving decisively in a healthier direction.

Yet for all the talk about finding the most palatable ways to prepare kale or making pizza crusts out of cauliflower, the reality is that most people’s diets haven’t changed all that much.

This week the Journal of the American Medical Association published a Tufts University nutrition study involving surveys of nearly 44,000 U.S. adults from 1999 to 2016.

The good news was that scores improved from 56 to 58 on the government’s healthy eating index.

The bad news is that the top score is 100. That amounts to a failing grade, and it’s not even close.

“Despite observed improvements,” the study authors wrote, “important dietary challenges” remain.

The challenges should be no surprise to anyone.

Though many of us undoubtedly know better, Americans can’t seem to resist processed snack foods, hot dogs, fatty meats, butter and other foods containing saturated fats.

The Tufts study found that these unhealthy fats increased to almost 12% of daily calories, above the recommended 10% limit.

And while the biggest change was a small drop in added sugars, to about 14%, from about 16%, that’s still too high. The government said less than 10% of daily calories should come from added sugars.

Fruits, nuts, oatmeal and other whole grains are among the types of foods adults ate slightly more of. Still, each of those contributed to less than 5% of daily calories in 2016, the study found.

Salt intake dipped slightly, and a small decline in fruit juice contributed to a drop in low-quality carbs, according to the survey.

But these still amount to 42% of daily calories, many likely from highly processed white bread and other refined grains that have a negative impact on health.

The results of all this were sadly predictable.

During the study years, U.S. diabetes rates almost doubled, to more than 7%; obesity rates increased during many of those years, with about 70% of U.S. adults now overweight or obese. Heart disease remains the leading cause of death.

So what can be done about this? A good start would be greater cooperation from the food industry in reducing sugar, salt and saturated fats in their products.

But ultimately it comes down to personal choices.

A popular excuse for poor eating habits is that trends in dietary advice keep changing. Is a low-fat diet best, or is cutting carbohydrate intake most important?

But deep down, most of us know that all they really need to do is follow some age-old advice: eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins; and avoid foods that are heavy in fat, salt and starch.

Indeed, that jibes with U.S. dietary guidelines calling for a focus on nutrient-dense foods including vegetables, fruit, whole grains and lowfat dairy products; plus varied proteins sources including seafood, lean meats and poultry, eggs, nuts and seeds.

That being said, there’s still plenty of room for sound nutritional advice. One big reason for this is that sometimes foods are not quite what they seem.

For example, folks may find themselves increasing their sugar intake by eating processed foods that don’t seem sweet but have plenty of added sugars.

Guidance on how to read nutrition labels, among other things is welcome.

We encourage readers to seek help from a nutritionist to help them get on the right track and stay there. Medicare recipients with diabetes or kidney disease are eligible for such counseling, but government statistics indicate only a small fraction of them take advantage of it.

Adopting a healthy lifestyle including a better diet and more exercise can save money, extend lives and prevent the misery caused by preventable chronic health problems.

It’s time for Americans to finally pay heed to good advice and move our dietary grades out of the failing range.

We can do better.