Ascertaining the Role of Socio-Economic-Demographic and Government Food Policy Related Factors on the Per Capita Intake of Dietary Fiber Derived from Consumption of Various Foods in the United States

The 2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommended that individuals consume around 25 grams of dietary fiber per person per day. Yet despite these recommendations, consumers do not purchase enough foods high in dietary fiber. To investigate the factors behind this behavior, we use the Nielsen Homescan data to create a quarterly panel from 2004 through 2014 of 9,896 households from across the United States. This research contributes to the literature by simultaneously investigating per capita purchases of products containing fiber: (1) bread (2) pasta, (3) tortilla, (4) fresh fruit, (5) fresh vegetables and beans, (6) frozen fruit, (7) frozen vegetables and beans, (8) canned fruit, (9) canned vegetables and beans. We perform the estimation using a random effects panel Tobit model in order to account for the censored nature of the available data. Preliminary results suggest that those with a higher income or education report more consumption of fiber from fresh and frozen vegetables and less from pasta. Those living below 130 percent and 185 percent of the poverty level do not seem to purchase significantly less fiber per capita relative to those above these poverty levels. A test of the effectiveness of fiber consumption promotion in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines seems to show mixed result