Food choices influence the health and well-being of individuals. Current dietary concerns include the overconsumption of calories, added sugars, and saturated fats; underconsumption of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables; and health conditions such as obesity.
ERS examines factors driving dietary choices and the economic consequences of nutritional and health outcomes. Food and dietary choices are influenced not only by prices and income, but also by family structure, time constraints, psychological factors, nutritional information, and Federal food and nutrition assistance programs. ERS provides in-depth economic analyses of:
- the Nation's food consumption trends,
- consumer reactions to changes in economic factors such as food prices and income,
- consumer reactions to changes in noneconomic factors such as nutrition labeling,
- dietary patterns, and
- the relationship between food intake and nutritional/health outcomes.
