Weight management: Is a calorie a calorie? No, according to 70% of Americans
Looking at weight management, when asked ‘What source of calories are most likely to cause weight gain?’ (from a choice of 'carbs', 'sugars', 'fats', 'protein', calories from all sources have the same impact on weight gain’, and 'not sure'), only 30% of consumers felt that calories from all sources were equal.
The remaining 70% were either unsure, or felt that calories from fats, carbs or sugars were the biggest culprits.
As for calorie counting, when asked ‘How often do you think about the number of calories you consume?’, 9% said always, 29% said often, and 31% said sometimes. However, a fifth of respondents (20%) said rarely and one in ten (10%) said never.
When asked an open-ended question about what do you think you would need to do to improve your diet, the most popular answers were about balance, eating more fruits and veggies and cutting back on junk food.
Only 6% spontaneously mentioned eating less, reducing portion sizes or keeping calories low.