Diet-Health Information and Nutrition. The Intake of Dietary Fats andCholesterol. An Economic Research Service Report

摘要

Diet-health information and nutrient intake data for a sample of U.S. householdmeal planners is used to estimate the effect of information of the intake of fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol. Results indicate that an awareness of health problems due to excess intake of these nutrients and the self-assessed importance of avoiding too much of these nutrients in one's diet have significant influence on nutrient intake. Results support the allocative efficiency hypothesis that states that higher human capital promotes healthier food choices through better acquisition and use of health information. Personal and household characteristics significantly affecting nutrient intake include income, schooling, age, sex, race, ethnicity, body mass index, vegetarian status, and dieting status. The informational role of exogenous variables is illustrated by computing their direct and indirect effects on intake.