HealthiNation Study Reveals Americans Have Overly Optimistic View of their Own Nutritional Wellbeing

NEW YORK, NY - 03/15/2011

To coincide with National Nutrition Month, HealthiNation commissioned a study by ORC International: CARAVAN® revealing that Americans have an overly optimistic view of their own nutritional wellbeing. The findings of the national phone survey of 1,000 U.S. adults suggest that when it comes to nutrition, Americans' perceptions do not match reality. A majority of adults (52%) think that they are doing all they can do to achieve a balanced nutritional diet. Yet, 76% of adults are not getting the minimum daily amount of fruits and vegetables as recommended by the USDA. On average, adults eat less than 1.5 cups* of fruits and vegetables a day combined. Why the discrepancy and how can we educate without information overload?

Aware of the issues that stem from poor nutrition, HealthiNation is introducing a slate of new nutrition and wellness TV and web programs that deliver information in an accessible and engaging format starting today. The collection of programming covers basic nutrition 101 education segments to fun and informative reality series, providing recipes and real takeaways for viewers of all ages, including tools and tips that will help them and their families make healthier choices in their own homes.

“Good nutrition is a key aspect to healthy living,” said Dr. Holly Atkinson, Chief Medical Officer, HealthiNation. “But as we can see from our national survey, people have a long way to go in achieving a healthful diet. We think education is a critical component to taking action and we believe there is real potential to inspire people to make healthier choices when they have the right tools.”

Starting today and over the next several months, HealthiNation will debut new wellness shows including:

• “The Essentials”: An upbeat educational series that cracks the code and gives the real deal surrounding the vitamins, nutrients and compounds contained in the foods we eat. First episodes cover Carbohydrates, Chocolate, Coffee, Fats, Fish, Protein, Salts, Soy, Vitamin D and Water.
• “Simple Smoothies”: This series mixes up smoothies for all kinds of people and situations. Whether you are trying to lose weight, looking for post-workout fuel, a high fiber meal, or a way to incorporate more veggies into your diet, this series gives you the recipes and background on what works.
• “Kitchen Crashers”: A reality-style “nutrition makeover” series in which a HealthiNation nutritionist crashes the junk food party and shows real families how to incorporate healthier food into their lives. This is a lighthearted series that is all about the positive benefits of healthy shopping, cooking and eating.
• “Babyhood Basics”: This series focuses on topics about infants including feeding issues, essential products for new moms, and emotional support.

In addition to www.healthination.com, viewers can watch HealthiNation’s programs on partner sites across the web and cable provider partners that reach 40 million unique users and 32 million television households.

During National Nutrition Month, the American Dietetic Association (ADA) is encouraging people to include a colorful variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and dairy on their plates every day. People can visit www.eatright.org to get more information and sign up for daily tips. HealthiNation strongly supports this effort and is complementing the ADA’s initiative by kicking off its own “Color Your Plate” sweepstakes today on Facebook. Starting today through April 15th, people can log on to www.facebook.com/healthination to get tips on healthy eating, test their knowledge about vegetables and fruits and enter for a chance to win more than 20 prizes, including an iPad 2.

*The latest USDA guidelines for minimum daily fruit and vegetable consumption take into account personal factors such as age and activity level, but generally speaking, the USDA recommends that adult women should consume 3 ½ to 4 ½ cups of fruit and vegetables each day, while men should consume 4 ½ to 5 cups. Our survey results revealed that women are consuming a mean of only 3 servings a day and men 2 servings a day (a serving in our survey was defined as a ½ cup portion) or 1 ½ cups (for women) and 1 cup (for men) daily. For more information, visit: www.mypyramid.gov

About HealthiNation
HealthiNation develops, produces and distributes video programming that educates and inspires people to make healthier choices. Our award-winning programs are developed in-house by leading television producers, physicians and health experts with rigorous standards of quality. HealthiNation video programs cover medical education, wellness, and healthy lifestyle topics using styles that entertain and inform. Our programs are distributed via partnerships with leading Internet properties and national cable television operators. HealthiNation is the first and only health video company to receive URAC accreditation as a Health Content Provider. URAC is a Washington DC-based health care accrediting organization that establishes quality standards for the health care industry. HealthiNation is headquartered in New York City, and its investors include Intel Capital and MK Capital. For more information, visit www.healthination.com.

About ORC International
ORC International, an Infogroup company, is a leading global market research firm with offices across the U.S., Europe and Asia Pacific region. The company has been a partner of CNN on the CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll since 2006. CARAVAN®, a service of ORC International, is the longest-running omnibus in the US. CARAVAN services are instrumental in tracking trends, identifying target markets, and delivering critical insight to client organizations.

Contact:

Diane Hepps
Director, Communications
HealthiNation
646.556.6768
diane@healthination.com