What do users of reduced-fat dairy products know about the fat in their diets?

To assess the fat intake and knowledge about the fat content of foods consumed by a sample of self reported users of reduced-fat dairy products.

Cross-sectional study of a population-based sample of women shoppers.

A small, rural town (population approximately 6000) in central Victoria, Australia.

Seventy-eight women aged 25-50 years, who regularly used at least one reduced-fat dairy product.

Mean reported intake of total fat was lower while intake of dairy fat was similar to that of a national sample of women of the same age both in the whole sample and when under-reporters were excluded. The ability to identify major sources of fat in the diet as reported appeared to be limited. Less than half of the subjects were able to correctly estimate the fat content of reduced-fat dairy products relative to regular products and about one quarter of subjects reported replacing one kind of oil or fat with another as a strategy to reduce fat intake. Subjects were generally aware of the need to 'eat less fat' but few could articulate specific recommendations. A number of subjects reported using low fat diets to control their weight but few subjects appeared to understand the connection between fat intake and energy intake.

The findings of this study raise important questions about how nutrition advice is understood and implemented by consumers, particularly the message to reduce fat intake and the role of energy balance in weight management. They also highlight the difficulty of interpreting information on food intake, in subjects who have modified their diet by reducing intake of specific foods.