Why another health survey anyway?

Like many of our readers, we've read dozens of large and small health surveys over the years and conducted almost a dozen of our own as well. We've read reports of health and nutrition research sponsored by magazines, food marketers, government agencies, universities, and independent research and consulting firms. In addition to primary research, we've regularly read Kristen McNutt's monthly summary of the nutrition information appearing in the media.

Our decision to do still another shopping and health survey was triggered by the findings and focus of the multi-objective Shopping For Health survey sponsored by Prevention Magazine and the Food Marketing Institute (FMI). Among the intriguing findings of that study:

* More than two-thirds of today's grocery shoppers have recently become more likely to treat themselves for a common illness before seeing a doctor.

* Almost 90% agree that eating healthfully is a better way to manage illness than medications.

To follow up on those findings, we asked a national cross section of Consumer Network shoppers to rate 68 activities, foods and beverages that they use or avoid when at least one of their thoughts is about staying healthy.