Despite a barrage of public-health warnings, most people arent concerned about their sodium intake. A new survey of 1,003 US adults for the American Dietetic Association finds that 59% say theyre not concerned about sodium and 70% dont know the recommended daily maximum (1,500 mg for most Americans). Even among people with high blood pressure, only 56% know what sodium levels they should be targeting. As a priority, limiting sodium intake ranked behind other healthy-diet goals including eating more vegetables, limiting sugar and watching calories.
Another survey for the association, questioning 754 adults, reports that 49% of consumers think theyre already doing all they can to eat a healthy diet. Among steps people say theyre taking are eating more berries (48%), low-fat foods (43%) and omega-3s (39%), while cutting down on sugar (34%). TV and the Internet were the most popular sources of nutrition information, leading an association spokesperson to express concern about a switch from regularly fact-checked forms of media such as magazine articles to less-reliable media.