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WHERE DID YOU HEAR THAT? DO YOU BELIEVE IT?
AMERICAN DIETETIC ASSOCIATION SURVEY REVEALS POPULARITY
AND PERCEIVED CREDIBILITY OF SOURCES OF NUTRITION INFORMATION
CHICAGO – Television remains the American public’s most popular source of information on food and
nutrition, while the Internet has surged in popularity, according to the American Dietetic Association’s
nationwide consumer opinion survey, Nutrition and You: Trends 2011. Registered dietitians and nutritionists
were named as the most credible sources, followed by doctors, with news media sources lagging far behind.
Popular Sources of Information
In an open-ended question in which respondents were asked where they see or hear the most information on
nutrition, 67 percent listed television – up from 63 percent in ADA’s last survey in 2008. But both of those figures
are down from the 72 percent who listed television as a source of information in ADA’s 2002 survey.
Television has remained Americans’ most popular source since ADA began conducting its survey in 1991. (In the
first two surveys, in 1991 and 1993, TV and radio were combined into one category.)
Magazines (41 percent) and the Internet (40 percent) were in a virtual tie for second place as consumers’ leading
sources of information in ADA’s 2011 survey. However, magazines dropped 4 percent from their 2008 response
rate of 45 percent, while the Internet rose from 24 percent in 2008 to 40 percent in 2011.
The Internet was cited by 13 percent of respondents in 2002, 6 percent in 2000, 2 percent in 1997 and 3 percent in
1995, the first time it appeared in ADA’s survey responses.
“In 2008, we saw the Internet pass newspapers to become the third-leading source of nutrition information for
consumers, and now it is tied for second with magazines,” says registered dietitian and American Dietetic
Association Spokesperson Jeannie Gazzaniga-Moloo.
“Unfortunately, there is less editorial oversight when it comes to the content found on websites and blogs, which
leaves room on the Internet for the spread of misinformation about nutrition and health.”
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ADA/Where Did You Hear That? – 2
ADA’s survey shows that consumers between the ages of 25 to 44 are responsible for much of the increase in the
use of the Internet for food and nutrition information. The Internet was cited as a source by 45 percent of those in
the 25-to-34 age group; 55 percent of those age 35 to 44; and 43 percent of those age 45 to 54.
With 15 percent, only the oldest respondents (age 65 and over) cited the Internet less than 33 percent of the time.
Television (72 percent) and newspapers (32 percent) were named most often as sources by respondents 65 and
older.
“As we move from regularly fact-checked forms of media such as magazine articles to the Internet as a primary
source for nutrition information, it is becoming increasingly important that consumers learn to distinguish
between a nutritionally sound website and a fraudulent one,” Gazzaniga-Moloo says.
“The key to determining if a website is credible is to look at the credentials of the person offering the advice. For
food and nutrition, a registered dietitian is your best source for the most up-to-date and accurate information.”
The most popular sources were followed by:
• Newspapers (20 percent)
• Doctors (16 percent)
• Family and friends (16 percent)
• Radio (13 percent)
• Reference/general books (11 percent).
Other sources, including school, grocery stores, package labels, registered dietitians, nurses, nutritionists, health
clubs/gyms, personal trainers, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s MyPyramid and food manufacturers, were
cited by 5 percent of respondents or fewer.
“ADA’s survey found that consumers are more likely to cite individuals or institutions as credible sources of
information, rather than media sources or businesses,” Gazzaniga-Moloo says.
Credible Sources of Information
The sources that consumers use most often for their nutrition information are not necessarily the sources they
view as the most credible, according to ADA’s survey.
“It appears that convenience is key when people decide where to get their information,” Gazzaniga-Moloo says.
“Even if the source is less credible in a person’s eyes, easily accessible information is the first place people go.”
Registered dietitians and nutritionists each were named as “very credible” sources of nutrition information by 71
percent of respondents. Doctors were named by 64 percent, followed by:
• Nurses (54 percent)
• USDA’s MyPyramid (42 percent)
• Package labels (37 percent)
• Reference/general books (37 percent)
• School (34 percent)
• Personal trainers (31 percent)
• Health clubs/gyms (26 percent).
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ADA/Where Did You Hear That? – 3
No other source was listed as a “very credible” source by more than 17 percent of respondents:
• Internet (17 percent)
• Family and friends (16 percent)
• Magazines (14 percent)
• Newspapers (14 percent)
• Grocery stores (13 percent)
• Television (11 percent)
• Food manufacturers (9 percent)
• Radio (8 percent).
“The pendulum is swinging toward sound-bite advice,” Gazzaniga-Moloo says. “Shorter attention spans are a
huge challenge for educators to have an impact through traditional forms of media. Because of time and space
limits, sound-bite advice can often leave the viewer with more questions than answers, and that is something we
need to be aware of in developing our advice and messages.”
Awareness of Registered Dietitians
Large majorities of people are aware of registered dietitians and believe there is a difference between an RD and a
nutritionist. ADA’s 2011 survey shows 85 percent of respondents have heard of registered dietitians – statistically
the same as the 2002 and 2008 levels of awareness.
“This sustained high level of awareness of RDs and the dietetics profession over the past decade is noteworthy,”
Gazzaniga-Moloo says. “The highest-quality and most reliable nutrition advice and services come from RDs, and
the survey results clearly show this is a message that has gotten through to the public.”
Respondents to ADA’s survey also agreed by nearly a 3-to-1 margin (74 percent to 26 percent) that there is a
difference between a registered dietitian and a nutritionist. Those percentages are unchanged from 2008.
“It is significant that consumers know there is a real difference,” Gazzaniga-Moloo says. “While in most states
anyone can call himself or herself a nutritionist, even someone with no qualifications whatsoever, a registered
dietitian is a food and nutrition expert who must meet stringent academic and professional requirements to earn –
and maintain – the RD credential.”
Awareness and Perception of ADA’s Website
A majority of respondents (57 percent) said they would be interested in visiting ADA’s website,
www.eatright.org. Forty-nine percent said they consider ADA’s website a “very credible” source of information.
Women (55 percent) and younger adults (57 percent of those age 25 to 34) represented the highest percentages.
“Registered dietitians have worked hard to establish our credibility with the public,” Gazzaniga-Moloo says. “We
can see consumers are responding by turning to RDs and ADA’s newly expanded website for the straight story on
food and nutrition.”
The American Dietetic Association is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. ADA is
committed to improving the nation’s health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education
and advocacy. Visit the American Dietetic Association at www.eatright.org.
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Participants in ADA’s survey were 754 adults age 18 and older, who were not employed in the food, nutrition, dietetics or
market research industries. For trending analysis, only responses from those age 25 and over (the cutoff age in previous
surveys) were used. Interviews were conducted in May 2011 by telephone via random digit dialing by Mintel International
Group Limited.