(RxWiki News) Diets in the United States are getting better, a new study found.
This study, published recently in JAMA, found that, between 1999 and 2012, the average US diet improved in several key areas, including whole grain consumption, more nuts/seeds, more fish and less added sugar.
Poor diet is thought to contribute to around 650,000 deaths per year in the US, according to the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy researchers behind this study. Poor diet has been linked to various health problems, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
These researchers also found that there were some dietary disparities based on race. For instance, white study participants were found to see significant dietary improvement over the study period, but those improvements were not seen on average for black or Mexican-American participants, indicating areas where health professionals and policymakers could focus their efforts.
The data for this study came from the self-reported diet habits of a nationally representative sample of nearly 34,000 people.
Information on funding sources and conflicts of interest was not available at the time of publication.
