Trends in Food Attitudes and Behaviors Among Adults with 6–11-Year-Old Children

This study presents an analysis of survey data measuring food attitudes and behaviors among a nationally representative sample of adults with 6-11-year-old children for 2002-2010 from Experian Simmons Market Research. Results show numerous significantly positive improvements in attitudes and behaviors regarding healthier diets. In general, parents report increasing fiber intake, thinking about calories, and reducing sweets consumption as well as a generic effort to eat healthier. However, some areas still needing improvement include relatively neutral views that their diet is "very healthy" and that they only snack on healthy foods. While there are a number of improvements in parents' attitudes and behaviors regarding a healthy diet, the majority of the ground gained was early, from 2002 to between 2003 and 2006. This study's results suggest that a better understanding of the parental "snacking mindset" and indulgence-healthy diet paradox might further assist in addressing childhood obesity. "Research shows that parents are often their children's most important role model. Children who see parents enjoying healthy foods ... are more likely to do the same." Office of the Surgeon General US Department of Health and Human Services (2009) ********** Overall, obesity rates for children have significantly increased in recent decades. According to data from the 1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Study, 15.1% of elementary aged chidren 6-11 years were considered obese. Fast-forward almost one decade to 2007-2008, and approximately one in five (19.6%) of 6-11-yearolds were obese (Ogden and Carroll 2010). Parents are the primary influences on their children's socialization and well-being, including nutrition-related aspects (Gable and Lutz 2000; Yu 2011). Virtually every study underscores parents' role in establishing and maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle (Evans et al. 2005, 2006; Kaiser Family Foundation 2004). Parents expose children to and encourage consumption of certain foods while restricting access to others (Golan and Crow 2004; Vandebosch and Van Cleemput 2007). Thus the extent to which parents hold healthy food-related attitudes and behaviors should influence their child's attitudes and behaviors. Stutts et al. (2011) advocated that parents should be made aware of how their own eating behavior influences their children. Similarly, Yu (2011) suggested that parents need to be educated in the pivotal role they play in crafting children's thoughts on obesity, the serious effects of unhealthy lifestyles, and the overall negative impact of food advertising. This study seeks insight into trends in parents' food attitudes and behaviors in recent years. Although it has been long understood that obesity poses significant health risks, public interest gained prominence after the release of The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity (Surgeon General's Report) in December 2001 (Kim and Willis 2007). In the decade since the Report was issued, numerous efforts from diverse arenas have contributed to increased awareness and understanding of childhood obesity, and hopefully, changes in attitudes and behavior regarding healthier eating. US media reporting of obesity-related news jumped 50% from 2001 to 2002 and peaked in 2007 (International Food Information Council 2009) attributable to the "prestige and authority" of the medical community defining obesity as a significant social problem (Kim and Willis 2007). From 2002 to 2006, 90% of 49 major grocery manufacturers communicated pro-health messages through marketing efforts and 77% said that they conducted local customer health promotions (Grocery Manfacturers Association 2007). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has provided industry guidance and companion consumer-targeted information campaigns regarding nutrition labeling (FDA 2009a). Adults' knowledge regarding a healthy diet and disease risk reduction, along with use of food nutrition labeling, increased across 2002, 2004 and 2008 (FDA 2009b). …