The Study: Can United States Adults Accurately Assess Their Diet Quality? published in the American journal of health promotion: AJHP, did a very interesting retrospective on the issue. Diet is a fundamental factor in human health, and the quality of food can help or hurt a person's quality of life, along with many other factors.
The availability of calories for an ever-increasing number of individuals has contributed to the development of populations, cities and, due to the increase in population density, to a greater spread of epidemic infectious diseases, as well as changes in physical constitution and personalities anthropometric.
The type of food eaten and how it is prepared varies from culture to culture and over time. Gradually new foods were introduced into the diet. The human diet reflects the substantial and energy needs, as well as the living conditions and eating habits that the person follows.
It determines, together with the individual metabolic characteristics, the body weight.
US adults rate the quality of their diet, or not?
Study researchers explain, "Perceived DQ was assessed by asking participants, how healthy is your diet? The five responses included excellent, very good, good, fair, and poor.
Measured DQ was assessed using 24-hours dietary recalls scored with 2015 Healthy Eating Index; scores were categorized using a 10-point grading scale. Matches between perceived and measured DQs that were classified as accurate included: excellent = A, very good = A or B, good = B or C, fair = C or D, and poor = D or F.
All others were classified as inaccurate. Analyzes included descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression for complex survey designs. 63% of adults perceived their DQ as very good or good while 70% scored DQ grades of F.
Overall, 15% of adults accurately assessed their DQ with 96% accuracy in the poor perception group and <23% in the other 4 groups. Overall, 75% of adults overrated their DQ. Females, adults with lower educational attainment, and those with low food security were more likely to accurately assess their DQ. entertainment, and those with low food security were more likely to accurately assess their DQ."