Amount of “junk food” Americans consume stuns UC Berkeley researcher

Gladys Block, a UC Berkeley researcher, analyzed diets of almost 5,000 adults. She was not surprised that Americans eat junk food but she was surprised by the amount consumed. According to her research, which was published in the June issue of the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, nearly one-third of all calories consumed were junk foods—soft drinks, sugared fruit-flavored drinks, alcohol, sweets, desserts, and salty snacks. She is quoted in the ContraCosta Times newspaper as saying, “Naturally we’re obese if we’re getting a third of our calories from these things. The part that I am more alarmed about than obesity is the empty-calorie issue.”

Comment:

While obesity may get all the media attention, dietitians and other health professionals have become increasingly worried about the lack of nutrients provided by many high calorie foods. These foods have been called “junk foods” or “empty-calorie foods” because they provide few vitamins, minerals or fiber and relatively high levels of calories. They are often high in sugar, fat and/or salt. Here’s a reality check from page 95 of Nutrition Logic: Food First, Supplements Second:

“If you want to have a healthy diet, many foods in the grocery store are not everyday foods; they are occasional foods. Occasionally you will want cake, cookies, and candy. Occasionally you will want chips, dip, and soft drinks. Occasionally you’ll want ice cream with chocolate syrup….If you have cake on your birthday but at few other times throughout the year, then it is an occasional food. The everyday foods keep you healthy, and the occasional foods are an added treat….Physically active people often comment that exercise allows them to eat more of the occasional foods and still keep their weight in balance.”