According to a survey recently conducted by Harris Interactive, 64% of adults in the US consider themselves healthy eaters, while 45% say they follow some form of health-conscious diet. The survey also show that substantial number of people try to incorporate some form of healthy food into their daily meals and snacks, with many consumers turning to organic products as a healthier option.

The survey revealed that age, income, education of the people played a big role in their diets:

• 75% of adults aged 55 and over consider themselves to be healthy eaters
• 47% of those aged 18 to 34 consider themselves to be healthy eaters
• 74% adults with incomes over $75,000 would consider themselves to be healthy eaters
• 28% of adult with a college degree consider themselves to be healthy eaters compare to 12% with only a high school education or less

When it comes to organic food, 50% of US adults say they sometimes buy organic foods. The majority of these people say they bought organic food because of the health benefits due to the fact that organic foods are free of pesticides and preservatives.

Other reason cited by people buying organic food include: tasting better, environmentally responsible, freshness, socially responsible, better for children, and better value.

Anne Aldrich, senior vice president of the consumer packaged goods research practice at Harris, said:

Growth in the organic foods industry over the last decade is certainly impressive. While produce tends to be consumers’ main pathway into this category, many are now taking advantage of the wide selection of organic foods found in supermarkets and natural food stores. As this industry (which has traditionally been considered an alternative eating style) moves toward becoming more mainstream, there is considerable room for consumer package goods companies to educate consumers about the health benefits of organic foods.

Published Saturday, March 4th, 2006 at 1:02 am in Health.