Americans appear to be paying attention to health warnings to cut down on food fats.
According to a recent survey, based on two nationally representative samples of 5,500 people in 2,000 United States households each, our use of margarine, butter and oils during the last five years has dropped
dramatically.
For instance, overall we used food fats 17 percent less often in 1986 than in 1981. Also, our consumption of margarine and margarine-type spreads went down 19 percent, liquid oils slipped 16 percent and butter fell 7 percent.
The survey, conducted by MRCA Information Services, a research firm, also found:
– Margarine and butter were most frequently used as additives to foods such as bread, sandwiches, potatoes and vegetables. Oils and shortening were predominantly used to fry or otherwise cook meats, potatoes and other foods.
– ”Grandmas and grandpas” consumed the highest level of food fats, 23 percent more than the 1986 national average. ”Young singles” used food fats least often, consuming 50 percent less than the average American.
