Trends in Consumption of Candy by The U.S. Population between 1971 and 2012: Results from NHANES

Recent data have shown that candy is a modest source of energy in the average American's diet, but little is known about how the contribution of candy to energy intake has changed over time. This study examined trends in consumption of candy by the U.S. population. Data from day 1 dietary recalls from participants in 11 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES): NHANES I 1971–1974; NHANES II 1976–80; NHANES III phase I 1988–1991 and phase II 1991–1994; NHANES 1999–2000; and NHANES, What We Eat in America (WWEIA) 2001–2002, 2003–2004, 2005–2006, 2007–2008, 2009–2010 and 2011–2012 were used. Percent consumers of candy (total excluding chewing gum), per capita intake of candy (g/day), per capita energy intake from candy (kcal/day) and a population proportion of percent energy from candy were estimated within each survey period and trends across survey periods were examined using linear and logistic regression and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The sample was comprised of children age 2–18 years (n=49,140) and adults age 19–74 years (n=71,139). Across the 4 decades, percent consumers of candy on a given day increased (p<0.05), with 20.5% consumers on a day in 1971–1974 and 24.6% in 2011–2012. The per capita amount of candy consumed and energy from candy increased for the total population and adults, though there were no changes for children. Percent contributions to energy intake from candy were consistent for each population across the 11 surveys, ranging from a minimum of 1.3% to a maximum of 2.4% for the population ages 2–74 y. In analyses limited to data collected in WWEIA components of NHANES (2001–2002 through 2011–2012), percent consumers, per capita candy intake and per capita energy intake from candy significantly decreased (p<0.05) for the total population and among adults 19–74 y. In the WWEIA components among the population 2–74 y, percent consumers of candy ranged from 24.6 to 27.6% and per capita candy intake was 9 to 11 g/day, providing 41 to 50 kcal/day and accounting for 1.9 to 2.2% of total energy intake. Results from this study show that per capita consumption of candy in the United States increased relative to levels in the early 1970s though remained stable as a percent of energy. Additionally, per capita consumption declined over the last decade. The improved methods of data collection in WWEIA, including better capture of potentially forgotten foods, may explain the apparent changes in candy consumption since the early 1970s. Overall, candy remains a relatively small source of energy in the U.S. diet accounting for approximately 2% of energy. Support or Funding Information National Confectioners Association