COLUMBUS, OH — An alarming new study reveals that American adults are adding “extra” food to their plates every day, or simply snacking too much. Researchers at Ohio State University analyzed data from more than 20,000 people and found that Americans consume 400 to 500 calories from snacks each day, often exceeding their calorie intake for breakfast and lacking in nutritional value. It turned out that
“We don't know the magnitude of the effect until we see it,” said study lead author Christopher Taylor, a professor of medical nutrition in the Ohio State College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. university release. “A snack contributes a serving to what we eat, even though it's not actually a meal. We know what dinner will be: one protein, one or two side dishes. But if you just eat what you eat as a snack, you end up with a completely different scenario: you eat less carbohydrates, sugar, and protein, and you eat less fruits and vegetables. Therefore, you don't have a completely balanced diet. .”
The study utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which collects detailed 24-hour dietary recalls. Based on HbA1c levels, an indicator of blood sugar control, participants were categorized into groups such as nondiabetic, prediabetic, controlled diabetes, and poorly controlled diabetes. According to our findings, snacks account for 19.5 to 22.4 percent of total energy intake and are mainly comprised of ready-to-eat foods, sweets, and sugary drinks.
An interesting observation was that people with controlled type 2 diabetes tended to snack less and eat less sweet foods than people without diabetes or prediabetes.
“Diabetes education appears to be working, but we also need to educate people at risk of diabetes and those with normal blood sugar levels so they can start changing their eating habits before they develop chronic disease. may need to be restarted,” Taylor said.
Taylor emphasized the importance of considering your overall dietary pattern, rather than just focusing on cutting back on sugar and carbohydrates. He pointed out that eliminating certain foods should be balanced with healthier alternatives to ensure a balanced diet.
The findings suggest that we need to change the way we view and consume snacking, move towards healthier snacking patterns and plan snacking as part of a balanced daily diet.
“We need to move from simply reducing added sugar to healthier snacking patterns,” says Taylor. “We've gotten to the point where we demonize individual foods, but we have to look at the big picture. Even if you remove added sugars, you automatically lose vitamin C, vitamin D, phosphorus, and iron. And when you remove refined grains, you lose the nutrients associated with fortification.”
Taylor advocated planning snacks with the same consideration as meals like lunch and dinner, especially on holidays and other occasions when unhealthy snacking options are readily available.
“Especially during the holidays, it's all about the environment and what's available and planning accordingly. And it's about shopping behavior and what you have at home,” Taylor concludes. “We think about what to pack for lunch and make dinner. But we don't plan our snacks that way, which means we're at the mercy of what's available in our environment.” It is.”
The research will be published in a journal PLOS Global Public Health.
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