An Urban's Rural View

There's no reason to doubt the recently released USDA report (http://tiny.cc/…) that Americans are eating healthier. But there's no reason to get terribly excited about it, either.

According to the report, which is based on physical examinations as well as survey responses from nearly 10,000 people, calorie intake in 2010 averaged 78 less than in 2005. The decline was even bigger in food-away-from-home calories -- 120 a day.

Not only were Americans eating out less and eating better at home; more of them were reading the nutrition labels on packages.

In a nation weighed down by obesity, any evidence of improvement in diet is good news. After years of nutrition experts bemoaning Americans' unhealthy eating habits, things now appear to be moving in the right direction.

They're not moving very fast, though. Those 78 calories shed represent a 3.4% decline. Someone who drinks just a single 12-ounce soft drink every day could achieve a bigger cut by switching from Coca Cola, which has 140 calories, to Diet Coke, which has none.

And while meals out may have declined, the fast-food industry continues to prosper. According to Euromonitor (http://tiny.cc/…), the industry's U.S. sales were up 5% in 2012 and are projected to increase 3% a year through 2017. To put that in context, the U.S. population is growing slower than 1% a year (http://tiny.cc/…).

With all the attention obesity is getting, you can expect the trend toward healthier eating to continue. But personal habits are slow to change and few habits are more personal than what people put in their mouths. It took decades to wean most Americans off cigarettes.

Long term, the trend is clear. But there's no rush to tear out the corn and plant Brussels sprouts.

Urban Lehner

urbanity@hotmail.com