Imagine that you are in charge of What We Eat in America, a national nutrition survey. Some people have suggested eliminating the survey due to budget constraints. How would you respond?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

National nutrition surveys gather information about the population’s dietary,
nutritional, and related health status. The data provide valuable information on
several nutrition-related conditions, such as growth retardation, heart disease,
and nutrient deficiencies. National nutrition surveys often oversample high-risk
groups (low-income families, pregnant women, adolescents, the elderly, African
Americans, and Mexican Americans) to glean an accurate estimate of their
health and nutrition status. The resulting wealth of information from the
national nutrition surveys is used for a variety of purposes. For example,
Congress uses this information to establish public policy on nutrition education,
food assistance programs, and the regulation of the food supply. Scientists use
the information to establish research priorities. The food industry uses these
data to guide decisions in public relations and product development. The
Dietary Reference Intakes and other major reports that examine the
relationships between diet and health depend on information collected from
these nutrition surveys. These data also provide the basis for developing and
monitoring national health goals.