Fats and Carbs ― A Snapshot of Consumer Knowledge from a Recent FDA Survey Chung-Tung Jordan Lin and Conrad Choiniere Consumer Studies Staff Office of Regulations and Policy Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Food and Drug Administration August 2005 Contact: Chung-Tung Jordan Lin (301) ;

2 Purposes of survey To establish baseline measures for Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) on consumer understanding of the relationships between dietary fats and the risk of coronary heart disease To obtain information on consumer perceptions and practices related to carbohydrates

3 Methodology Random-digit-dialing telephone survey Nationally representative sample All 50 states and D.C. October 12, 2004 – January 21, 2005 Completed interviews = 1,798 adults Response rate = 34% (AAPOR RR3) Results reported here have been weighted to be nationally representative

4 Dietary Fats and Risk of Heart Disease ― What Do Consumers Know?

5 Most consumers say they have heard of these fats (PART) % who have heard of a fat

6 More consumers know sat fat ─ heart linkage than trans or omega 3 ─ heart linkage (PART) 1

7 Many consumers say they have heard of these fats % who have heard of a fat

8 Many of them, however, cannot tell the links between these fats and heart disease

9 Overall, fat ─ heart disease awareness is highest with sat, lowest with poly & mono % of consumers

10 Carbohydrates ― What Do Consumers Know and Do?

11 Perceptions vary in how different kinds of carb affect weight % consumers

12 Perceptions vary in how sugar and starch affect weight Did not follow any diet plan Different effects 25 % Don’t know 43 % Same effect 33 %

13 Exposure to “carb” products is high

14 Many consumers say “low carb” products can be high or low in calories Did not follow any diet plan Heard of and say low in calories 8 % Heard of but no idea 23 % Never heard of low-carb products 9 % Heard of and say high in calories 10 % Heard of and say either high or low in calories 50%

15 Different interpretations of what kind of carb “low carb” refers to Heard of and say low in total carb 4 % Heard of and say low in either carb 21 % Heard of but no idea 30 % Never heard of low-carb or net carb 39 % Heard of low-carb products and say low in net carb 6 %

16 Many consumers say manufacturers decide which products are “low carb” Heard of but no idea 6 % Never heard of low-carb products 12 % Heard of and say someone else decides 2 % Heard of and say manufacturers 52% Heard of and say government 28%

17 Many have tried “low carb” products, while others are just not interested Did not follow any diet plan Heard of, never tried, but likely to try 6 % Never heard of low-carb products 11 % Heard of and have tried 53% Heard of, never tried, and unlikely to try 30%

18 Most of those who limit carb do not follow any diet plan Follow a diet plan such as Atkins or South Beach 21 % Do not follow any diet plan 79 %

19 Those who limit carb do it for various purposes Did not follow any diet plan To lose weight 54 % For other purposes 37 % To lose weight and for other purposes 6 % Don’t know 3 %

20 Those who see themselves as overweight are more likely to limit carb The differences are significant ( p < )

21 Among those who see themselves as overweight, concern about overweight is linked to limiting carb The differences are significant ( p < )

22 Higher (self-reported) BMI means more likely to limit carb intake The differences are significant ( p < )

23 Different proportions of consumers try to limit these things % who limit

24 Calories and fat are considered more important than carb in losing weight Calories 44 % Fat 48 % Neither is important or no idea 7 % Carb 25% Calories 62 % Neither is important or no idea 1 % Both are important 7 % Both are important 6 % Calories vs. FatCalories vs. Carb

25 Summary Limited understanding of most dietary fats Interpretation of carb terms vary Weight control motivates carb limitation Fat and calorie seen as more important than carb in losing weight