The Fayette Citizen-HealthWise Page
Wednesday, May 26, 1999
Health Matters: Survey shows the "scoop" on Americans' ice cream habits

Ice cream is a comfort food, a source of immediate gratification and reward.

And men are rewarding themselves quite generously, according to a recent survey conducted by Opinion Research Corporation International for Edy's Grand Ice Cream. Nearly a quarter of all males surveyed consider a "typical" serving of ice cream to be four or more scoops, and they don't stop there. Forty percent of all males "usually or sometimes" go back for seconds.

In contrast, a typical serving for almost half of the females surveyed is only two scoops and 61 percent claim to "never" go back for a second helping.

In fact, 13 percent of all men love their ice cream so much that they lick the bowl. Only 8 percent of women admit to this unorthodox dishwashing technique.

Can you guess who is more likely to polish off the last few scoops in the carton? There's no holding back for most males. Two-thirds of the men surveyed finish off the carton rather than saving some for anyone else. In comparison, 35 percent of women tend to leave the last bites in the carton.

So men have hearty appetites, but women know what they're looking for, and it's the "goods." The Edy's survey also showed 43 percent of the females polled usually or sometimes dig out the pieces of cookie dough, nuts or cookies, while 45 percent of the males say they "never" go mining.

The crunchy flavors also seem to be favorites with the younger crowd. A whopping 71 percent of those surveyed in the 18-24 age group say they usually or sometimes dig for the special ingredients.

The survey was conducted July 17-20, 1997, by Opinion Research Corporation International and polled 1,011 adults comprising 502 men and 509 women 18 and older, living in households in the continental United States. A complete report on the survey is available by phoning 800-777-3397.

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