New York (December 20, 1999) – Turn on the TV or open a newspaper or magazine and there it is. The "nutrition study of the week" is grabbing your attention, and often contradicting the previous study or traditional health advice. But do Americans take conflicting or confusing nutrition news to heart, and does the latest research actually cause them to change their eating habits?

Yes to both questions, according to a new national survey conducted by Yankelovich Partners and just released by Cornell’s National Nutrition Information Center. Not only do an overwhelming majority of Americans (84%) believe there is a strong relationship between the foods they eat and their overall health, nearly six out of 10 (59%, or 120 million) adults admit that conflicting nutrition information has convinced them to change their eating habits over the last couple of years.

The survey identified four foods that Americans have been the most confused about in recent years, creating "flip-flopping" -- red meat, salt, margarine and coffee. The vast majority of adult Americans (83 percent) have read or heard conflicting health information about at least one of these foods. This also is the first survey to confirm that conflicting nutrition information actually does cause people to change their eating habits. According to the survey findings, when confused about a particular food, people consume less of that food or switch to another food as a substitute.

"The changes consumers are making have not all been justified and have not necessarily been for the good," noted Dr. Barbara Levine, director of the Nutrition Information Center at the New York Weill Cornell Center and associate professor of Clinical Nutrition in Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. "For instance, consumers are not generally aware that margarine is still the preferred alternative to butter for heart-health reasons and that lean red meat is perfectly appropriate in the diet."

"While the trend toward an increased emphasis on proper nutrition has been very positive, those who dispense nutrition advice, or interpret it, have to be extremely careful not to worsen Americans’ tendency to flip-flop on their food choices," Dr. Levine added.

According to the survey, two-thirds (64%) of nutrition "flip-floppers" say they will change their minds again if they hear or read new information. So not only are Americans’ eating habits easily swayed by the latest nutrition research study, but, as the survey revealed, eventually people may adopt an "I give up" attitude since they don’t know what to believe, which can lead to unhealthy eating behaviors. Or they may stop paying attention to new information entirely, as one in five already have.

The survey found that Americans are most uncertain about margarine and many have unwisely switched to butter. Dr. Levine noted that the consumer takeaway is contrary to the 11 recent studies that demonstrate the cholesterol-lowering benefits of margarine compared to butter, as well as recommendations by the U.S. government and American Heart Association to choose margarine products over butter. Also, the consumers surveyed were least positive about salt and coffee, even though recent research has shown that moderate amounts of coffee do not increase the risk of heart problems, and most people with  normal blood pressure are not sensitive to the blood-pressure raising effects of salt.

Much to the dismay of many heart-health experts, the survey shows that about one-third (39%) of consumers who have heard conflicting or confusing messages about margarine have stopped eating margarine and are replacing it with something else. Of those individuals, 42 percent are now eating butter. "This switch is definitely a negative when it comes to heart health and it demonstrates the importance of communicating the latest nutrition findings carefully and clearly," said Dr. Levine.

"Although new research is important, consumers need to realize that a single study is just one piece of a puzzle. They need to turn to health professionals who can present the whole picture before any dietary changes are made," she added. "One of the best Millennium resolutions one can make would be to stop making unnecessary or unwise dietary changes," she concluded.

Based on the Yankelovich findings, the Nutrition Information Center offers the following tips for nutrition-conscious consumers as they begin the New Millennium:

• When you hear or read about the findings from a new study, accept it for what it is -- just one study.
• Don’t make snap judgments, particularly where food and your health are concerned.
• Avoid flip-flopping on dietary matters. Making drastic changes in your eating habits is rarely necessary.
• Search for the broader nutrition message when reading or hearing about a new study. For example, is the study saying "avoid red meat" (a drastic and unnecessary change) or "reduce your saturated fat" (a sensible conclusion)?  Is the message to "avoid margarine and switch to butter" (drastic and unhealthy) or "reduce your trans fat" (sensible)?
• Ask a health professional for her or his advice.

Yankelovich Partners completed the nationally projectable "Nutrition Flip Flop Survey" in October, consisting of 1,001 U.S. adults aged 18 and older. Interviews averaged nine minutes in length. The margin of error is +/- 3.2 percent. The study was designed by Yankelovich Partners with scientific input from the Nutrition Information Center at The New York Hospital-Weill Medical College of Cornell University through an educational grant from The Kellen Company, an association management and public relations firm serving food associations.

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Note to Editors/Reporters: Dr. Levine is also co-director of the Human Nutrition Program at The Rockefeller University.

Source: Cornell Nutrition Information Center