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Average person thinks they have a better diet than average person

In a survey that might have been taken at Lake Wobegon, where all the children are above average, people asked to grade their diet gave themselves a B- while saying that everyone else's diet deserves only a C-.That's according to the 2013 Food and Health Survey, which was commissioned by the International Food Information Council Foundation. The survey includes responses from 1,006 Americans

In a survey that might have been taken at Lake Wobegon, where all the children are above average, people asked to grade their diet gave themselves a B- while saying that everyone else's diet deserves only a C-.

That's according to the 2013 Food and Health Survey, which was commissioned by the International Food Information Council Foundation. The survey includes responses from 1,006 Americans between the ages of 18 and 80. The survey was conducted in April.

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In the survey, 88% of respondents said that it's possible to have "a great deal" or "complete" control of their diet, but only 66% said they try to take that amount of control over what they eat.

Concerning how to improve one's diet, the average response involved consuming a more balanced diet in general, including eating more fruits and vegetables and fewer sweets and snacks.

If correct information is part of successfully taking control of such matters, some barriers remain. Only 30% said that, for weight management, a calorie is a calorie, regardless of its source. Twenty-one percent said that calories from sugar are more likely to cause weight gain, 19% said calories from carbohydrates are more likely to cause weight gain, and 18% said calories from fat play an above-and-beyond role in abetting weight gain.

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