The research findings indicated that the consumption of healthier diet seemed more widespread in the young and the aged as opposed to teenagers and middle -aged individuals. According to the study, women adopted better and healthier diets than their male counterparts. As compared to whites and/or blacks, Hispanics tended to have adopted better and quality diets. The research confirmed what many people had suspected and doubted for a long time, that the American diet is full of disparities.

The American diet is calling for immediate improvement regardless of the ages, races, socioeconomic status or the levels of education, according to the study’s author, Hazel Hiza. The study involved the use of responses derived from a national survey that incorporated precisely eight thousand, two hundred and seventy two Americans. The individuals listed the foods and drinks that they consumed in a single day compared to the suggested daily diets by the USDA (U.S Department of Agriculture).

Subsets of the individuals studied were reserved measurements between 0 and 100 as per the basis of the USDA recommendations for the different groups of foods such as vegetables, fruits, beans, milk, meat and grains that they were consuming on a daily basis.

The researchers found out that, in overall, groups of adults and women had a score of 56, with seniors scoring significantly highs of 65 implying that their diet met the standards recommended by the USDA. While seniors did better than the young ones, no subsets were close to the 100% score, though.

Race and the recommended diet

The author and his team also found out that dietary differences were also as a result of individual level of income and their respective races. Individuals of the Hispanic race had higher scores as compared to those of the African Americans and the whites in the different food groups. Hispanic children got closer the USDA recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables in comparison with white children. Compared to black kids, Hispanic kids came closer in the consumption of the recommended quantities of fruits.

Income levels and diet

The family’s level of income affected and made a significant difference in the children diet though it is not what anyone can expect! The researchers found out that children and adults from poor backgrounds came closer to the USDA diet recommendation standards in many food groups as compared to children from affluent backgrounds. This is because of the possible participation of the humble families in the NSBLP (National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs). Increase in the level of income caused the adults to meet the USDA standard recommendations, the research indicates.

While kids from young backgrounds could be doing fine, it is not the case with their parents according to related research, since these parents ‘sacrifice their own diets to benefit their kids’. Researchers recommend Americans to adopt policies encouraging the consumption of vegetables and fruits since they are beneficial to the health of all people.