The Foods That Made America Fat
In 1961 Americans consumed 2883 calories per person. By 2000 this had increased to 3817. Combine this with a decrease in physical activity and it's a no-brainer; in the space of 40 years people got fatter. Not only that - they also got sicker.
What foods made up this 935 calorie increase and what effect might those foods have had on overall health?
Are we eating a lot more animal-based protein? Red meat? Or is it the increase of saturated fats that have made us sicker?
The answers to these questions present a stunning contrast to traditional dietary dogma.
Here's the base statistics.
| 1961 | 2000 | |
| Total Calories per Day | 2882.5 | 3816.71 |
| Calories from Protein | 13.2% | 12% |
| Calories from Fat | 34.4% | 36.7% |
| Calories from Carbohydrate | 48.7% | 47.3% |
| Calories from Alcohol | 3.7% | 4% |
Consumption of animal proteins went from 8.7% of daily calories to 7.6% - here are some details:
| Calories per Day from | 1961 | 2000 |
| Butter | 65 | 40 |
| Eggs | 67 | 55 |
| Red Meat | 140 | 123 |
| Poultry | 64 | 186 |
More poultry but less red meat, butter, and eggs. Pork consumption is about the same. So where did all the extra calories come from?
Added sugars, vegetable oils, and cereal grains.
| Calories per Day from | 1961 | 2000 |
| Added Sugars | 515.75 | 665.82 |
| Vegetable Oils | 267.5 | 634.93 |
| Cereal Grains | 627.32 | 869.05 |
We've been told to; eat less eggs, eat more margarine - avoid butter, eat less saturated fat, eat less red meat, eat more grains, use more vegetable oils.
The above statistics would indicate - that to some degree - this advice has been taken to heart.
Strange how more of us are obese than ever before and how diabetes and heart disease rates continue to climb.
Surely after 40 years we should be seeing some positive evidence?
2 comments:
That's just what Michael Pollan says In Defense of Food--that fat's not the enemy, additives are. Good blog.
speaking of which, I still have that book of yours but I've finally gotten Tim to read part of it, so I'll get it back to you soon, I promise haha
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