Consumption Patterns

In 2000, the U.S. food supply provided 3,800 calories per person per day.

Accounting for waste, the average American consumed 2,700 calories per day – an increase of 24.5% from 1970. (1)

In 2005, Americans ate 200 pounds of meat per person, which is up 22 pounds from 1970. (9)

Over half of grains grown are fed to animals. See “feed grains to animals”, right. (10)

The average American eats 32 teaspoons of caloric sweeteners – mostly sucrose and corn sweeteners – per day. (1)

In 2004, 66% of U.S. adults were either overweight or obese, defined as having a body mass index of 25 or more. (11)

Poor nutrition and physical inactivity accounted for 400,000 premature deaths in 2000. (12)

Diet contributes to heart disease, certain cancers, and stroke – the three major causes of U.S. deaths. (11)

In 2003, the cost of obesity-attributed medical expenditures in the U.S. was $75 billion. Taxpayers financed half of these. 13 26% of the edible food available is wasted at the consumer level.

See “losses”, below: (10) Click on image to see in larger format, or use link below to source document.

Excerpt from U.S. Food System Fact Sheet (Click here to view source)

References

(1) U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)(2003) Agriculture Fact Book 2001-2002. Office of Communications.

(2) USDA (2004) 2002 Census of Agriculture. United States Summary and State Data. Volume 1, Geographic Area Series, Part 51. AC-02-A-51.

(3) Elitzak, H. (1999) Food Cost Review, 1950-97. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Economic Report 780.

(4) U.S. Department of Labor (2005) Findings from the National Agricultural Worker Survey 2001- 2002. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy. Office of Programmatic Policy.

(5) Louisiana University Marine Consortium (2007) "Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico, Mapping the Dead Zone 2007"

(6) USDA (2007) National Resources Inventory 2003 Annual National Resources Inventory. National Resources Conservation Service.

(7) Pimentel, D. et. al (1991) “Environmental and economic impacts of reducing U.S. agricultural pesticide use” Handbook on Pest Management in Agriculture CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, pp. 679-718.

(8) U.S. EPA (2007) Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990 - 2005. Washington, DC 20460.

(9) USDA (2007) “Food Consumption” Briefing Room Economic Research Service.

(10) Heller, M.C. and G.A. Keoleian (2000) Life Cycle-Based Sustainability Indicators for Assessment of the U.S. Food System (CSS00-04).

(11) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2007) National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2004. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

(12) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2004) "Physical Inactivity and Poor Nutrition Catching up to Tobacco as Actual Cause of Death." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

(13) Finkelstein, E., I. C. Fiebelkorn, and G. Wang (2004) "State-Level Estimates of Annual Medical Expenditures Attributable to Obesity." Obesity Research Vol. 12 No.1.

(14) Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture (2001) "Food, Fuel, and Freeways: An Iowa perspective on how far food travels, fuel usage, and greenhouse gas emissions." Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture.

(15) Brower, M., and W. Leon (1999) The Consumer's Guide to Effective Environmental Choices. Three Rivers Press, New York.

(16) ERS (2000) “Marketing Organic Foods.” Agricultural Outlook (272).