Are Americans Heeding the Healthy Eating Message When They're Out on the Town?

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Health professionals continue to sound the alarm that obesity is the biggest health threat to Americans. Furthermore, Americans are bombarded with messages about how eating fried foods and excessive amounts of red meat can increase their risk of heart attack and stroke. These health warnings are of particular concern when eating out -- where super-sized portions of deep-fried foods have been the staples of menus for some time.

According to a recent Maritz(R) Poll conducted by Maritz Research, a leader in marketing research, one in four Americans (24 percent) is currently on a diet. A higher percentage of women (29 percent) were watching their weight compared to men (18 percent). Male and female dieters were equally likely to maintain dietary discipline. Two-thirds (66 percent) of dieters indicated that they will stick to their diets, making healthy choices when eating out, compared to 'overindulging' because dining out is a special occasion. Furthermore, nearly six out of 10 (57 percent) of those surveyed indicated that offering low-carb or other healthy dining options was at least 'somewhat important' in their decision when choosing a restaurant.

"As all of the publicity around the need to develop better eating habits continues to resonate with a large segment of the population, I would expect that restaurant concepts built around healthy eating will be a large part of the future landscape of casual dining," said Rick Garlick, director of Consulting and Strategic Implementation for the Maritz Research Hospitality Group.

"A good example is Darden's Seasons 52 restaurant that launched in Florida and recently expanded to Atlanta. Every item on their menu contains less than 475 calories, and features lean meats and seafood, good carbs and beneficial oils such as extra virgin olive oil -- a unique departure from the standard fried fare at many restaurants."

The online survey of nearly 1,900 Americans who recently ate at a casual dining restaurant also showed that when given a choice between food that is grilled or fried, an overwhelming majority (87 percent) said they preferred their food grilled.

"When dining out, you notice that many restaurants do not offer a grilled option to their customers. For example, how many menus offer fried wings as an appetizer, compared to those that offer a grilled wing option with a reduced-fat hot sauce?" said Garlick. "Unless you want fried, you often are left out."

The survey also revealed that more Americans are eschewing red meat. Thirty-six percent said they were eating less red meat compared to five years ago. Only 8 percent said that they were eating more red meat.

About Maritz Poll

Maritz Poll is a national consumer opinion survey conducted periodically by Maritz Research. The recent online Maritz Poll -- conducted from August 2 to August 6, 2006 -- featured responses from 1,890 randomly selected adults throughout the United States who dined in a casual dining restaurant at least once in the preceding three months. The survey polled diners on various issues related to their preferences and behaviors relative to eating out. Margin of error for the overall poll is +/-3 percent. Results of the poll may be used in print or broadcast media, provided credit is given to the Maritz Poll and/or Maritz Research Inc. For more information on Maritz Poll, visit the Web site at http://www.maritzpoll.com/ .

About The Maritz Research Hospitality Group

As one of the world's largest marketing research firms, Maritz Research, a unit of Maritz Inc., helps many of today's most successful companies improve performance through a deep understanding of their customers, employees and channel partners. Founded in 1973, it offers a range of strategic and tactical solutions concentrating in a variety of business sectors. The Maritz Research Hospitality Group, based in Oak Brook, Ill., is uniquely positioned to provide strategic research and consulting to the hospitality industry by focusing on measurement and training issues related to customer service, performance improvement, and employee engagement. The company has achieved ISO 9001 registration, the international symbol of quality. It is a member of CASRO and official sponsor of the American Marketing Association. Based in St. Louis, Maritz Inc. provides market and customer research, communications, learning solutions, incentive initiatives, meetings and event management, rewards and recognition, travel management services, and customer loyalty programs. Maritz has a presence in 42 countries, with key offices in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Spain. For more information, visit http://www.maritz.com/ .

About Maritz Research

As one of the world's largest marketing research firms, Maritz Research, a unit of Maritz Inc., helps many of today's most successful companies improve performance through a deep understanding of their customers, employees and channel partners. Founded in 1973, it offers a range of strategic and tactical solutions concentrating primarily in the automotive, financial services, hospitality, pharmaceutical, telecommunications, retail, workplace and technology industries. The company has achieved ISO 9001 registration, the international symbol of quality. It is a member of CASRO, the Conference Board, and is the official sponsor of the American Marketing Association.

Maritz Inc., based in St. Louis, is ranked No. 265 on the most recent Forbes list of 500 Largest Private Companies. Maritz provides market and customer research, communications, learning solutions, incentive initiatives, meetings and event management, rewards and recognition, travel management services, and customer loyalty programs. Maritz has key offices in the United States, Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom, with alliances in Europe, Africa, Asia Pacific and the Americas. For more information, visit Maritz.com or contact us at 1-877-4MARITZ.