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Overview
As a leader in nutrition communications research, the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation continually seeks to create and improve opinion leader tools that can be used to communicate with consumers on a variety of nutrition-related issues.  As consumers have increasingly had access to more information via the Internet about health and nutrition, many have found information about dietary fats to be confusing.  Language used to communicate about dietary fats (e.g., saturated, unsaturated, omega-3, trans fat) has been particularly unclear to consumers. 

Research Objectives
The International Food Information Council (IFIC) is exploring new language for communicating with consumers about dietary fats.  In particular, IFIC wants to find ways of conveying the positive health aspects of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.  Specifically, the objectives of this focus group research were to:

• Assess current consumer knowledge of fat types and how they fit into the diet;
• Gauge how consumers have interpreted and used information about fats in their own diets and food choices, as well as other family members (spouses, children, etc);
• Thoroughly explore risk perception of dietary fats with consumers;
• Evaluate consumer understanding of the new science that has emerged about dietary fats.

Methodology
A total of four focus groups were conducted in two cities, Chicago, IL (June 21, 2007) and Baltimore, MD (June 27, 2007).  In each city, one group was comprised of only men while the other was all female.  All focus groups were comprised of 8 to 11 respondents that were somewhat knowledgeable in nutrition and who represented a mixture of:

• Ages (25-54 years old);
• Income levels ($40,000 to 100,000);
• Education levels (high school, college, no post-graduate);
• Marital and family situations (single, married, kids, etc); and
• Ethnicities.

The focus groups began with a discussion of fats and their role in the diet and then led into several exercises evaluating risk perception of fats.  Next, consumers explored facts about fats and discussed how this information affected their perceptions.  Finally, consumers explored concepts and ideas intended to help them make food choices that fit their needs.

The screener, discussion guide and handouts used in this research are presented in Appendices A, B and C, respectively.

Executive Summary

• In general, fats are one of the more confusing labeling issues for consumers.  While many said they are aware of and recognize common fats labeling and ingredient terms, many said they were not sure if certain fats including monounsaturated and polyunsaturated were “good” or “bad.”
• Women tended to feel guiltier about their fat and food intake than men; however, some men did express guilt about food and fat intake, especially those who have difficulty controlling their weight.
• Many consumers, especially women, associate fat intake with weight control issues.  Older men tend to associate fat intake with heart health while younger men were not as concerned about health or nutrition issues.  In general, most women do not associate fat intake with their own heart health as men do.
• Most consumers indicated that they understand that saturated fats and trans fats are unhealthy.  However, many had questions and were uncertain about the healthfulness of polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. 
• While many participants could easily evaluate the healthfulness of higher fat food items (e.g., nuts, ice cream, cheese, etc), many could not assess the healthfulness of different types of fats (e.g., monounsaturated, omega-3, partially hydrogenated, etc).
• To a certain degree, consumers mistrust the information about fats, particularly trans fats, that they are getting on food packages.  Some expressed skepticism about either the taste or health of foods made to be lower in fat content.  Others felt that excluding trans fat meant that other less than healthy fats were used in their place.
• While all groups acknowledged the body’s need for fats, most participants felt that the word “fats” brought to mind negative images.  For men, fats were linked with health conditions such as heart attacks, obesity, stroke, diabetes, and death.  For women, fat was more tied closely to issues of appearance (e.g., ugly, body weight, etc.) although they also thought of health.  For both men and women, “oils” were associated with more positive ideas such as cooking and baking, and foods such as peanuts, fish and olives.
• Basic education using a one-page handout that described types of fat and their food sources greatly improved consumers’ confidence and understanding of different types of fats.
• Discussions with consumers revealed that they utilize several types of “moderation” and one size does not fit all; while consumers say moderation is “common sense,” it was apparent that individuals need to find their own ways to be moderate.
• Types of moderation that were revealed:
• • Steady/routine moderation: moderate in all food choices, most of the time.
  • Special occasion moderation: moderate in food choices except on special occasions.
  • Weekend splurge moderation: moderate all week and “splurge” on the weekends.
  • Meal by meal moderation: moderate by making up for a high fat meal over the course of the next few meals and/or planning for a high fat meal by eating lower fat before hand.
  • Other moderation strategies: avoidance/elimination, substitution, portion control, and exercise.
• Men and women both said that they have received most of their information about fats from three sources:  doctors, advertising, and television news programs.
• Consumers were quite clear on their thoughts about dietary messaging about fats.  They feel that few people listen until there is a problem because the messages are too scary; and positive statements about fats would be a welcome departure from what they have typically heard about fats.
• Many thought a simple symbol (e.g., Pyramid icon on a refrigerator magnet) would help them remember the types of fats. 
• Message themes that seemed to resonate:
• • “Fat is necessary for good health.”
  • • Consumers thought this message needed to be more specific about what types of fat are necessary for health.
  • “Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are healthier than saturated and trans fats.”
  • • All four groups said things along the line of “look for the ‘un’” to remember that unsaturated types of fats are healthier than saturated. 
  • “Healthier fats keep your heart healthy."
  • • Consumers liked this message but felt that it applied to the entire body not just the heart.  In addition, they felt the message should include food examples.
  • “For most people, a moderate fat diet means eating up to 65 grams of fat per day.”
  • • Participants thought this message was believable but not very meaningful without food examples to provide perspective.
• Message themes that were less effective with consumers were:
• • “You can learn more about how much fat you need in your diet by visiting www.mypyramid.gov.”
  • • While this was believable and credible, many did not think they would visit this site to learn more.
  • “Balance higher fat foods with lower fat foods.”
  • • This concept did not make sense to many consumers.  They did not understand how this would make their diets healthier overall since they would still be eating the same amount of fat rather than less fat overall.

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