Most Americans Say They Eat Well, But They Don't
Most people at the grocery store like to think they're filling their baskets with healthy choices, reports CBS News correspondent Michelle Miller.
"I don't buy a lot of goodies," said one customer. "I keep away from the cake and the chocolate and stuff like that."
According to Consumer Reports Health, many Americans are simply deluding themselves, most say they eat well, but don't.
"The perception does not equal reality at all," said nutritionist Katherine Brooking.
Brooking says many Americans are really confused about what healthy eating really means.
"People want to be healthy," said Brooking. "People want to do the right thing, but they don't want to admit how bad things have become."
85 percent of Americans rarely if ever count calories. Another 79 percent never set foot on a scale.
"I don't care about calories at all," said one woman. "I eat when I can."
Maybe that explains why only 11 percent of those surveyed say they are very overweight or obese, when the truth is, 26 percent of Americans are obese.
At a health food restaurant in New York City, people have good intentions.
"I just asked them if there was cream in there," said one patron.
Even though salad dressing adds calories, one man who slathered on Cesar dressing on his salad said he wouldn't eat it otherwise.
When asked which of these items had more calories, the answers surprised people. 75 percent of Americans thought a glazed donut, which contains 260 calories, had more calories than a plain bagel, which has 320. 80 percent thought 20 M&Ms at 68 calories were higher than an ounce of pretzel sticks, which runs at 100 calories.
In an effort to help consumers make educated choices, the new healthcare reform law will soon require restaurant chains nationwide to post the amount of calories for each offering on menus.
"A lot of people are going to choose lower calorie and probably healthier items," said Mike Jacobson of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
Maybe with the information in front of them, Americans won't be able to fool themselves into thinking they're eating right.
