CHICAGO (AP) – A new study says Americans’ eating habits have improved – except among the poor.
Those results show a widening wealth gap when it comes to diet. Yet even among wealthier adults, food choices remain far from ideal.
The 12-year study used an index of healthy eating where a perfect score is 110. U.S. adults averaged just 40 points in 1999, and that climbed to 47 points in 2010. Scores for low-income adults were lower than the average and barely budged during the years studied.
Higher scores mean greater intake of heart-healthy foods including vegetables, fruits, whole grains and healthy fats. Low scores mean less of those foods and a greater chance for diet-related illnesses including diabetes, heart problems and obesity.
The study was published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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