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You're Not Alone! Americans Want Simple, Easy Ways to Understand Health Information

Posted on: Wednesday, 12 April 2006, 09:00 CDT

Low fat, Trans fat, No fat, the health benefits (or not) of chocolate, milk, nuts, coffee, etc., - all of this conflicting information is leaving Americans confused and mystified about how to take care of themselves. With the abundance of health and nutrition information in the news everyday, it is no wonder that Americans are suffering from health information overload.

In fact, according to "The HEALTHY BOOMER Survey" of 1,086 Baby Boomers conducted on behalf of www.eatbetteramerica.com, more than one-half are frustrated and confused by conflicting health and nutritional information available today. Although Boomers are actively searching for simple ways to stay healthy, half of all Boomers surveyed find it difficult to stay current on all the new health and nutritional information. Additionally, more than 4 out of 10 Boomers are overwhelmed by all of the inconsistent health reports and they feel that they hear too much data about health and nutrition that is not relevant to them.

Boomers Use of Health Web Sites

Americans look for simple, easy ways to answer their questions. Currently three-fourths of Boomers receive most of their trusted health and nutritional information from doctors and nutritionists. Following closely as a trusted source are health related Web sites; however Boomers revealed that they actually utilize these sites only about a quarter of the time when searching for information. The reason may be that most of the information on current sites is boring, confusing and just plain difficult to follow.

Breaking through the Confusion

A new, innovative Website, called eatbetteramerica.com was created specifically with Baby Boomers in mind. The site acts as a trusted resource center to provide useful, educational and engaging food and nutrition information to lead a healthy life. The site allows you to set personal goals and provides recipes and suggestions to help you maintain and follow a successful path. The site also provides a community of support and offers simple changes to improve your health and lets you know that you are not in this alone.

"With the plethora of information overwhelming Americans, we saw the opportunity to create a simple, straight-forward Web site that makes eating better easier and more fun," said Jeff Fuller, Health and Wellness Center of Excellence, General Mills. "We feel that eatbetteramerica.com answers this need by creating a place where people can learn from experts, as well as from others like themselves, how healthy eating habits and easy-to-follow exercises can lead to a better life."

Ask the Experts

Furthermore, www.eatbetteramerica.com is partnering with LLuminari, a prestigious network of well-known evidence based health experts who believe that communicating about health is as important as practicing medicine. These doctors have a prominent role on the website where members can connect with the experts.

"Our panel of physicians and experts at LLuminari will help shed light on the latest medical news and help members cut through any confusion and misinformation they may have been exposed to in the past," said Miriam E. Nelson, Ph.D. "We will provide tips on nutrition, exercise and fitness, that will help inspire members to live a healthier and more fulfilled life."

A Helping Hand

And because eatbetteramerica.com is about helping everyone in America eat better, the site will also include a partnership with America's Second Harvest, a network of more than 200 food banks and food-rescue organizations working to create a hunger-free America. For each dollar raised, America's Second Harvest can distribute up to 15 meals.

For more information about this site, please log onto www.eatbetteramerica.com

Additional Key Survey Findings

-- Almost three-fourths of Baby Boomers feel that they hear too much information about fad diets

-- Half of all Baby Boomers have started at least one diet in the past three years

-- Approximately 7 out of 10 Baby Boomers have started a diet to lose weight (78% female, 58% male)

-- A majority of Baby Boomers believe that they should get 30 minutes of physical activity; however 1/4 of Baby Boomers do not exercise at all

-- The average number of times per week that Baby Boomers exercise is 2.2 times

-- Only 3 out of 10 Baby Boomers think it is very easy to understand the health and nutrition information received

About General Mills

General Mills is a leading global manufacturer and marketer of consumer foods products, with annual worldwide net sales of $12.5 billion. Its global brand portfolio includes Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Haagen-Dazs, Old El Paso, Bugles and more. It also has more than 100 U.S. consumer brands, more than 30 of which generate annual retail sales in excess of $100 million. Included in the U.S. portfolio are some of the nation's most popular brands including Cheerios, Wheaties and other Big G cereal brands; Yoplait and Colombo yogurts, Betty Crocker desserts and dinner mixes; Betty Crocker and Nature Valley snacks; Totino's frozen pizza and snacks; and Progresso ready-to-serve soups. General Mills is also a leader in the bakeries and foodservice business.

About Directive Analytics(R)

Directive Analytics is a full service Marketing Research firm, located in Norwalk CT. DA's senior management is comprised of executives who have previously served at Millward Brown, TNS, GfK, The Gallup Organization and Greenfield Online. We provide our clients with top-notch market research and consulting expertise combined with hands-on involvement typical of smaller research organizations.

Survey Methodology

An online questionnaire of approximately 10 minutes in length was fielded. The questionnaire was fielded in October, 2005. A total of 1,988 interviews were conducted. Findings in this report were tested at the 90% and 95% confidence interval.

Source: Business Wire

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