NEW YORK (AP). If more and more people seem to be dieting these days, you may not be able to imagine.
A higher percentage of Americans reported following special diets for weight loss or other health reasons than a decade ago, according to a report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Tuesday.
The increase occurs when obesity rates continue to rise. A CDC report found that 17 percent of Americans said they were dieting in the 2017-2018 survey period, up from 14 percent a decade ago. During the same period, the obesity rate in the United States rose from 34 percent to 42 percent of Americans.
According to Dana Hunnes, professor of public health and nutrition at the University of California at Los Angeles, the percentage of Americans who eat is less than expected given the prevalence of diet-related diseases.
The report finds that around half of American adults have chronic nutritional diseases such as diabetes and heart disease and that many people try special diets to control them. However, Hunnes cautioned that many people may not think of their diet as a diet.
The report also examined the 2015-2018 responses to determine other characteristics of people on special diets:
- The heavier and more educated people were, the more likely they are to be on a special diet. The report found that 23 percent of obese Americans are on a diet, compared with 17 percent of overweight people and 8 percent of normal or underweight people.
- More women said they were on a diet than men.
- 18 percent of non-Hispanic White Americans, 16 percent of Hispanic Americans, and 15 percent of Asian and Black Americans reported they were on a diet.
- A higher percentage of people over 40 reported dieting than people between 20 and 39 years of age.
- Between 2007-08 and 2017-18, diets labeled "low calorie or weight loss" became popular and remained the main category of special diets. Low carb diets are growing in popularity, and low fat and low cholesterol diets are decreasing.
The results are based on an ongoing national survey that asked respondents: "Are you currently following any diet for weight loss or other health reasons?"
Becky Ramsing, a nutritionist and senior program specialist at the Johns Hopkins Sustainable Future Center, said dietary changes people make in hopes of weight loss can vary widely. And in some cases, she says, people may not understand why the choices they make don't result in weight loss.
"They won't eat bread, but then they will eat a lot of other high-calorie foods," she said.
Many diet trends often boil down to banning certain foods, Ramsing said. But in order to make lasting change, people need to consider their overall diet, she said. It will also help solve another problem with dieting, she says: It's difficult to stick to overtime.
The Associated Press Department of Health and Science receives assistance from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education. AP is solely responsible for all content.
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