The More Educated Eat Better
Reported May 05, 2009
(Ivanhoe Newswire) People with more education appear to be applying their learning abilities to their diets.
Researchers from the University of Washington who studied the eating habits of 164 adults find those who completed more years of school were more likely to consume low energy/high nutrient foods, like lean meats, fish, low-fat dairy products, and fresh vegetables and fruits.
People with less education were more likely to consume energy dense foods like fast food, sweets, candy, and desserts.
The difference came with a price tag: overall, the higher educated, better eaters spent more on their food than the lower educated, poorer eaters. But it wasnt just because the more highly educated people had more money to spend. While household income was also linked to eating habits, people with more education ate better and spent more on food than people with less education, regardless of household income.
People in the study kept records on their consumption of 152 different foods and 22 different beverages and also indicated how much of each item they ate during the research.
SOURCE: Journal of the American Dietetic Association, published online May 1, 2009