MYTHS ON EATING TRIPPING UP DIETERS.

Byline: Tracey A. Reeves Knight-Ridder Tribune News Wire

Americans who eat low-fat foods often still end up gaining weight. That's because they start calculating fat grams, but they stop counting calories.

The fat-free myth and other confusion about food leads many people to take on bad eating habits, say the authors of a new study on eating trends.

``The good news is that people are more aware of what they eat,'' said Barbara Levine, who is director of the Nutrition Information Center at New York's Cornell Medical Center and helped analyze the study. ``The bad news is nutrition confusion prevails.''

Among other findings of the study, released Thursday by the Wheat Foods Council, a nutrition and education group that promotes grains:

Carbonated beverages are the fastest-growing food and drink item. They were followed by skim and low-fat milk, pasta, cheese, poultry, bagels and popcorn and pretzels.

Households with working women tend to eat less fats and sweets than those when the wife stays at home.

Good diet may be a generational thing: older adults also have better eating habits.

Despite the fact they produce most of the nation's grains, people in the Midwest eat far less of it than they should, the study said, in part, because they're more likely to buy into the notion that bread is fattening.

New England, the Virginias, and parts of the Sun Belt, including Florida and Arizona, are the top grain-eating states.

Chris Lindgren, general manager of the Westward Ho Entertainment Complex in Grand Forks, N.D., sees both the good and bad of nutrition every day at his cafe.

``What we've noticed is that people have gotten away from the big breakfasts,'' Lindgren said. ``They're asking for muffins, toast, oatmeal, bagels, and things like that. They're eating lighter.''

But, he added, some people won't change their eating habits, no matter what the studies show.

``They still come in and ask for their two eggs, hash browns, meat, toast and pancakes,'' Lindgren said. ``We call it chuck wagon vittles.''

Jeanne Goldberg, associate professor of nutrition at Tufts University in Boston, said she doesn't blame people for being confused about food.

``We were all told to eat fat-free,'' Goldberg said. ``The problem is the public wasn't told what else to do.''

Goldberg said what people should be doing is re-educating themselves about the four basic food groups and planning their meals around those groups.

For example, many consumers wrongly believe that whole wheat bread is healthier than white bread. The truth is each bread offers different, but strong nutritional values.

``The important thing is eating any bread is better than eating no bread,'' Goldberg said. ``The best diets are made of a combination of good foods.''

Data for the study were compiled by the NPD Group, a New York marketing and research firm that has been tracking consumer eating habits for 16 years.

Judi Adams, a dietitian who heads the wheat council, said the goal of the study is to stress the importance of eating grains as part of a balanced diet.

The task, say nutritionists should not be difficult.

``We're not talking about complicated science here,'' Levine said. ``Simply add a dinner roll to your meal, enjoy lower-fat crackers as an afternoon snack or have an extra slice of toast at breakfast, and you will be well on your way to meeting your daily grain needs.''