CHICAGO, June 10, 2024 — The cost and availability of nutritious foods are major concerns for U.S. consumers, according to a new national poll on public attitudes about food and nutrition conducted by Zogby Analytics on behalf of Research!America and the American Heart Association. Nearly seven in ten respondents (68%) recognize healthy eating habits as an important factor in improving their chances of living a long and healthy life. However, more than half (53%) say the U.S. has not made enough progress to make nutritious foods more accessible and affordable.
The poll results are included in an expert analysis of the future of health and food in the United States, outlining major challenges to improving nutrition security caused by systemic factors that can make it difficult for people to access healthy foods. The report, released today by Deloitte, the American Heart Association, and Research America, details the urgent challenge of building a food system that effectively integrates nutritious foods into health care to prevent, treat, and care for cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions.
These findings were presented at the Drake Hotel in Chicago, where the American Heart Association, the world's leading public health organization focused on heart and brain health for all, was founded exactly 100 years ago.
“Efforts led by the American Heart Association have halved deaths from heart disease over the past 100 years, but as we enter the second century of our human race, the trends are ominous,” said Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association. “We are committed to averting a crisis of unprecedented health and economic burden from cardiovascular disease and obesity in the decades to come.”
If left unchecked, obesity will be a major factor in the projected sharp increase in cardiovascular disease by 2050, according to a grim prediction published June 4 in the society's flagship peer-reviewed journal, Circulation.
By 2050, more than six in 10 U.S. adults (61%) are projected to have some form of cardiovascular disease, up from about half of all adults today. Obesity rates will increase nearly 40% in adults, from 43.6% to 60.6%, and more than 60% in children, from 20.6% to 33%. The highest rates of obesity will be among adults ages 20-44 and 45-64. Obesity is projected to soar among children of all ages. More than 150 million people (almost half of the U.S. population) will be eating unhealthy foods, the most common contributing factor to health conditions such as high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes.
According to the poll, obesity also plays a major role in the public's perception of health in the United States, with 94% of respondents saying they consider obesity to be a somewhat (41%) or very (53%) serious problem.
More than three in four respondents (77%) said they would like to eat healthier, but they reported the biggest barriers to achieving this include:
Cost of healthy eating (60%): Many find it difficult to afford nutritious options. Stress-induced overeating (42%): Emotional factors influence food choices. Lack of preparation time (33%): Busy schedules get in the way of meal preparation. Lack of knowledge (32%): Understanding what foods are healthy and how to prepare them remains a challenge.
“The survey results show significant differences in how historically underrepresented groups rank barriers to healthy eating,” said Mary Woolley, president and CEO of Research America, a nonprofit health and research advocacy coalition. “Nearly seven in 10 Asian American (66%) and Hispanic (68%) respondents said the biggest barrier to healthy eating is the cost of healthy foods. Black respondents were more likely to cite gaps in knowledge about healthy foods (38%) and difficulty accessing stores that stock nutritious foods (25%) as barriers to healthy eating.”
The report on the future of health and food in the United States points out that food and nutrition insecurity (not consuming enough calories and nutrients to stay healthy), ultra-processed foods, and lack of a resilient and adaptable food and agricultural system are the main causes of unhealthy diets. As cited in the report, about one in seven Americans will face food insecurity in 2022, a total of 44 million people, including 13 million children, the highest rate since 2014.
“While the impacts of food insecurity are felt disproportionately in rural (90%) and Southern (80%) counties in the United States, food and nutrition insecurity exists across the country,” said James Cascone, partner in Deloitte's Sustainability, Climate & Equity Strategy Growth Offering and Future of Food leader for the Americas. “Factors including consumer preferences, cultural norms, and the marketing of unhealthy foods, compounded by social inequalities and food and nutrition insecurity, impede access to healthy foods, resulting in poor diet quality and a significantly increased risk of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease.”
According to statistics cited in the report, approximately 60% of the U.S. diet consists of ultra-processed foods containing refined grains, high calories, sodium, sugar and saturated fat, and consumers often choose processed foods over nutritionally healthier alternatives. The report calls on stakeholders, including health professionals, the food industry and policymakers, to drive innovations that enable the food system to enhance health outcomes.
“Healthy, nutritious foods not only lead to improved overall health, but they are also an essential tool in treating, managing and preventing chronic disease,” said Kevin Volpp, MD, PhD, American Heart Association volunteer, scientific lead for the association's Health Care by Food™ initiative, and founding director of the Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics at the Perelman School of Medicine and Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. “Stopping the compound tides of obesity and nutrition insecurity that threaten the health of millions of Americans now and for decades to come will require cross-sector collaboration and research-backed innovation in public and private programs.”
The Association's Health Care by Food™ initiative invests in research, outreach and education to integrate cost-effective food-for-care approaches into health systems, and an initial pilot study funded by the Association is underway to strengthen the evidence base by demonstrating the effectiveness of healthy food interventions applied within health systems.
The Institute is also working with the Periodic Table of Food Initiative (PTFI) to better understand the composition of certain foods and the role they play in human health. Founded five years ago by multiple academic, technology, philanthropic and non-profit sectors, PTFI aims to better understand food biodiversity by building a unique database of the world's food supply to inform dietary recommendations and agricultural practices and improve the health of people and the planet.
Brown noted that further health and nutrition solutions are needed to prevent the predicted increase in the incidence and costs of cardiovascular disease.
“We must take bold action to change the troubling trajectory of cardiovascular disease, which is why the American Heart Association will soon launch a new longitudinal patient registry of people who are overweight or obese and those who are prescribed weight management medications,” Brown said. “Inspired by decades of experience in patient registries and the Framingham Heart Study, this groundbreaking registry will provide important research to improve our understanding of the causes and treatments of obesity, and how health care professionals can manage it.”
This new effort will help lay the groundwork for radically shaping public health guidelines on nutrition and obesity, and Brown called on others to adopt such innovative and comprehensive approaches to improve the health of the nation.
“Collaboration between public and private sectors is essential to advance health and nutrition efforts that have the potential to shape public health for the next century,” Brown said. “We invite all stakeholders in the health and nutrition sector to join us in the fight to ensure everyone has access to nutritious foods that lead to better health.”
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About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association works tirelessly to create a world where people live longer, healthier lives. We are committed to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Working with countless organizations and empowering millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for public health and share life-saving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been the leading source of health information for a century. As 2024 marks our 100th anniversary, we celebrate 100 years of rich history and accomplishments. As we move into our second century of bold discovery and impact, our vision is to advance health and hope for all people, everywhere. Connect with us at heart.org, Facebook, and LinkedIn. X Or call 1-800-AHA-USA1.
For media inquiries: 214-706-1173
Steve Weiss: steve.weiss@heart.org
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