How Often do Americans Diet?

More than half of all Americans report having dieted at least once a year. This is perhaps unsurprising, because about one-third of all Americans are obese and another third are overweight. The most popular diets in America are the Jenny Craig, South Beach, Atkins and Weight Watchers programs.

More facts about the American diet:

• Since 1965, the use of sugar has gone up 14 percent, and the use of artificial sweeteners has gone up 65 percent. Americans eat an average of 150 pounds of sweetener a year, about 100 of which are sugar. One of the main sources of sugar in the American diet is soft drinks.


• Serving sizes in many restaurants are two to five times bigger than they were in the 1970s, depending on the restaurant.


• Most American adults do not get the daily recommended dosages of critical vitamins, including vitamin E, magnesium and zinc, even though most Americans consume almost 50 percent more than the recommended daily intake of calories.