According to USA’s Yearbook published by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, as of 2002, the average American consumed 3,790 calories a day. You can compare that to 1982, when we ate on average of 3,180 calories a day.
I can’t find any data that goes back further than that, but I do know that the fast food boom was in the 60s-70s, so I’m sure the early 80′s figure is drastically larger than the previous few decades. Not only that, but we’re becoming more sedentary as decades go by as we have technology play a larger role in both work and entertainment.
I’ve gone through most countries and haven’t found a single country with as high as a consumption rate as us. There are some that are close (like France) but not quite. Additionally, our rate of calorie consumption is increasing much faster than other countries. Japan is an example of one country that has actually seen consumption rates stay relatively steady over 20 years.
I love this country, but something has to change. If these rates remain the same, the average American in 10 years will be consuming over 4,000 calories of food every single a day. That’s insane!