The American Diet: 53 Gallons of Soda, 42 Pounds of Corn Syrup, 200 Pounds of Meat

Written By Jill Ettinger

The average American eats. A lot. As a new infographic points out, per year, food intake per person can amount to some 200 pounds of meat, 85 pounds of fat, 415 pounds of vegetables, 31 pounds of cheese, 53 gallons of soda and 42 pounds of high fructose corn syrup.

By comparison, in 1950, Americans ate roughly half of the meat eaten today, and what they did eat was more like the high quality, organically fed, free-range meat now available to those able to pay sometimes three to four times more than the price for the rampant conventionally raised and high-risk factory farm produced animal proteins.

Sixty years ago, Americans consumed virtually zero pounds of high fructose corn syrup, but that number today -- more than 40 pounds per person (3,865 teaspoons per year or 11 teaspoons per day) -- correlates with the high rise in Type II diabetes, obesity, heart disease and other diet-related illnesses. While HFCS is found in a number of unsuspecting foods from bread to condiments, it's also a major ingredient in soft drinks and sodas, of which Americans are now drinking more than 50 gallons per person each year, adding as much as 150 extra calories in HFCS consumption per day.

Recent aggressive rebranding efforts by the HFCS industry to call it the seemingly more benign 'corn sugar' have led health advocates and public interest groups to outrage as a number of studies link HFCS to more significant weight gain than cane sugar. HFCS is also derived primarily from genetically modified corn, which poses its own set of risks including organ damage, birth defects and cancer.

Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

Image: Daily Infographic

 

Comments

[klbrz]

11:31 PM on 09/23/2011

As I've always suspected, we eat more fruits and vegetables than any other foods (and our consumption has increased over the last few decades) -- quit eating them and we quit having health problems. :)

[Eat WIth Confidence]

09:49 PM on 09/23/2011

As I was reading this article, my first thought was no one can deny that the typical American does eat a lot. The food portions served in restaurants & the average plate size found in our homes are major factors contributing to obesity, rather than the specific types of foods or beverages they are consuming. What we need is nutrition and health education to provide individuals with the tools to make healthy choices. I often tell my clients, which includes companies like Coca-Cola, the healthiest individuals know eliminating a specific food, beverage or ingredient never works in the long run. Eating a well balanced healthful diet that includes daily physical activity can also include snacks and beverages with HFCS – proven to be safe when consumed in sensible portions – without negatively affecting ones health.
Marisa Persky, MPH,RD,LDN
Registered Dietitian

[SusanElizabeth1949]

12:49 PM on 09/22/2011

I drink one to two sodas per month, and all of it made with sugar. I can't feature drinking nearly a gallon per week. Ice cream is a rare treat but when I have it it is either home made or a super premium that has the same ingredients I would use. I use nothing with HFCS listed on the label. 200 pounds of meat sounds about right as does the 31 pounds of cheese -- I love cheese filled pastas. I haven't a clue as to the weight of vegetables I eat, but I'm more apt to eat rice then mashed or fried potatoes.

[BluePhantom2]

07:00 PM on 09/21/2011

This is why they hate us, our bounty! Trying to get us to eat less is not going to work unless you regulate it. And as the current occupant of the white house is discovering, regulating prosperity isn't going to work. Better to help feed the world and bring them up not us down.

[traceymarie]

09:16 PM on 09/21/2011

our bounty of obese sedentary citizens and our soaring diabetes and heart disease as well as certain cancers

[c-tom]

11:41 AM on 09/21/2011

40 lbs corn syrup, 273 lbs fruit, 415 lbs veg, and 192 lbs of grains, 670 lbs. egg and dairy v 110 lbs of red meat. Maybe eating meat isn't causing the problem. I was amazed that the majority of the average diet is vegetarian.

[frank day]

12:42 PM on 09/21/2011

Nearly half of the diet is animal products. Half !!!

[c-tom]

02:26 PM on 09/21/2011

Yes I couldn't get over how much dairy (630 lbs) was in the average diet either. 5 lbs of ice cream or yogurt for each pound of beef.

[Kevin Chung Lin]

11:38 AM on 09/21/2011

very disgusting, indeed