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The light is pouring in A new study analyzing two decades’ worth of nutrition data paints a dark cloud over America’s progress in fighting malnutrition and the health problems that come with it.
“There’s good news. Americans Nutritional messages, “Some companies and restaurants are starting to make healthier products, so we’re seeing some improvement,” said cardiologist Jonathan Mather, lead author of the study. Dr. Darius MozaffarianHe is director of the Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University in Boston.
But most of the improvements occurred between 1999 and 2010, and no progress has been made in nutrition since then, he added.
“We’re at a crossroads as a nation, and this doesn’t bode well for our health,” Mozaffarian said. “If I were to rate the American diet, I’d give it a D, slightly above an F.”
Among U.S. adults, Unhealthy eating habits The study found that between 1999 and 2020, the proportion of people eating a healthy diet fell from about 49% to just over 37%, a decline of 11.4%, while those eating a somewhat nutritionally well diet increased by 10.5%.
An unhealthy diet is one that includes refined grains, processed meats, Sugar-sweetened drinks, include fruit juice, Similarly Ultra-Processed Foods It’s full of added sugar, salt and fat. Healthy options like fruits and vegetables are few and far between in this diet.
“Fruit and vegetable intake has not increased at all in the last 20 years, which is quite surprising,” Mozaffarian said.
An ideal diet would include at least the recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables, plus: beans, Whole grains, nuts, and seeds. Dietary guidelines from the American Heart Association and other sources recommend: Drink 4-5 cups a day Add equal amounts of canned, fresh, and frozen fruits and vegetables.
A nutritionally ideal diet would include no sugary drinks, processed meats, refined grains, Ultra-processed foods, Research shows they’re often high in added sugar, fat and salt.
Unfortunately, the number of people who consumed an ideal diet that included nine cups of fruits and vegetables increased by less than 1%, the study found.
“A question I often get asked is, ‘Why are obesity and diabetes still on the rise when diets are slowly improving?’ They’re increasing because only 1.58 percent of Americans are eating an ideal diet. We still have a long way to go,” Mozaffarian said.
More than one million Americans die each year from diet-related diseases such as obesity, cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. According to the U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationUnhealthy diets and food insecurity have put the U.S. Healthcare spending and lost productivity estimated at $1.1 trillion Every year.
“I think it’s right to highlight that the quality of our diet remains dire, and it’s clear why Americans are in this situation. The obesity epidemic Diabetes and declining life expectancy are also to blame,” he said. Walter Willett“The study is a step toward establishing a consensus among health care professionals,” said Dr. S. Chan, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, in an email. He was not involved in the study.
the study, Released on Monday The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, analyzed dietary information from nearly 52,000 U.S. adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).
The greatest nutritional gains were made among women, young adults, Hispanic adults, those with higher education and income, and those with private health insurance. Less progress was made among men, blacks, older adults, those with lower incomes, less education, those without private health insurance, and those who are food insecure.
“Demographic disparities based on education, income, race and ethnicity have remained constant or, in some cases, worsened,” Mozaffarian said.
The study found that low-income people saw a 5% improvement in nutrition quality, while high-income people saw a 16% improvement in nutrition scores.
“We need to avoid blaming only the victims of America’s dysfunctional food system for the poor dietary habits documented in the study,” Willett said. “We are not educating students about nutrition in schools and we are feeding them unhealthy meals.”
“Our health care system is almost completely dysfunctional; it allows advertising to tempt our children with junk food and drinks that lead to premature death; and it indirectly subsidizes unhealthy foods in a variety of ways, making healthy options relatively expensive and inaccessible to low-income Americans,” he said.
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Experts say there’s a simple way to change your diet from D to A.
Experts say there are simple steps you can take to make your diet more nutritious.
Cook at home as often as possible. “My number one suggestion would be to do as much grocery shopping as possible instead of eating at coffee shops, sandwich shops or fast food restaurants,” Mozaffarian said.
Even if you eat at a full-service restaurant, Restaurant operations should be limited, he added. preliminary survey Research by Mozaffarian and his team found that roughly 80 percent of the food Americans consume in restaurants is poor quality.
“Surprisingly, there was no dramatic difference in quality between fast food and sit-down restaurants,” he said.
Instead, choose minimally processed foods for your home cooking and avoid the heat-and-eat convenience foods commonly found in grocery stores. Please bring a lunch And bring snacks to work.
Don’t drink sugar. While Americans are becoming more aware that sugary sodas are unhealthy, they still don’t realize the link between sugary energy drinks, sports drinks and caffeinated beverages that are also loaded with sugar, Mozaffarian said.
“Energy drinks, pre-sweetened iced teas, and specialty coffee drinks can contain more sugar than soda,” he says. “You see people getting drinks from coffee shops with whipped cream on top; don’t drink sugar.”
But excluding sugary drinks, just 6 percent of the nation’s calories come from added sugars in food, Mozaffarian said. “By contrast, about 35 percent of the nation’s calories come from refined grains and starches.”
Limit refined grains. Overall, refined grains are the biggest culprit in Americans’ poor diets, consuming 5.2 servings per day. “Refined grains, including refined bread, refined rice, crackers, chips and other ultra-processed foods, amount to nearly two servings per meal,” Mozaffarian said.
Whole grains The bran and germ are still present, A treasure trove of nutrients Plenty of healthy fats, It contains antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins E and B. Whole grains digest slowly, don’t raise blood sugar as much as refined grains, and are high in fiber, which may reduce the risk of chronic disease. Promotes weight losspromotes digestion.
“Examples of whole grains include barley, bulgur, farro, millet, quinoa, black rice, brown rice, red rice, wild rice, oatmeal, and popcorn.” According to MyPlateUnited States Department of Agriculture website.
Refined grains Grains like white flour, corn grits, white bread, and white rice are milled to remove the bran and germ to give them a finer texture and a longer shelf life. Milling also removes nutrients like fiber, iron, and vitamins. Refined grains are found in almost all ultra-processed foods, including breakfast cereals, desserts, pastries, breads, and crackers.
Replace refined grains. “Instead, feed your gut microbiome with fruits and vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds, and minimally processed whole grains,” says Mozaffarian, who adds that fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, and kimchi also support gut microbiome.