New York Times - "Americans are finally eating less"
Orphia
Posts: 7,097 Member
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/25/upshot/americans-are-finally-eating-less.html?ref=health&abt=0002&abg=1
"Calories consumed daily by the typical American adult, which peaked around 2003, are in the midst of their first sustained decline since federal statistics began to track the subject, more than 40 years ago. The number of calories that the average American child takes in daily has fallen even more — by at least 9 percent.
The declines cut across most major demographic groups — including higher- and lower-income families, and blacks and whites — though they vary somewhat by group.
In the most striking shift, the amount of full-calorie soda drunk by the average American has dropped 25 percent since the late 1990s."
It seems all the doom and gloom is finally being listened to, and add that to programs by the Obama administration, and initiatives by individual cities.
"Anti-soda messages hit their target. Americans, on average, purchased about 40 gallons of full-calorie soda a year in 1998, according to sales data from the industry trade publication Beverage Digest analyzed by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. That fell to 30 gallons in 2014, about the level that Americans bought in 1980, before the obesity rates took off."
While the trend is seen across many demographics, it's not all good news.
"Among the most overweight people, weight and waist circumference have all continued rising in recent years."
"The recent calorie reductions appear to be good news, but they, alone, will not be enough to reverse the obesity epidemic. A paper by Kevin Hall, a researcher at the National Institutes of Health, estimated that for Americans to return to the body weights of 1978 by 2020, an average adult would need to reduce calorie consumption by 220 calories a day. The recent reductions represent just a fraction of that change.
“This was like a freight train going downhill without brakes,” Kelly Brownell, dean of the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University, said. “Anything slowing it down is good.”"
I'm taking this news optimistically, and hoping the trend will continue.
"Calories consumed daily by the typical American adult, which peaked around 2003, are in the midst of their first sustained decline since federal statistics began to track the subject, more than 40 years ago. The number of calories that the average American child takes in daily has fallen even more — by at least 9 percent.
The declines cut across most major demographic groups — including higher- and lower-income families, and blacks and whites — though they vary somewhat by group.
In the most striking shift, the amount of full-calorie soda drunk by the average American has dropped 25 percent since the late 1990s."
It seems all the doom and gloom is finally being listened to, and add that to programs by the Obama administration, and initiatives by individual cities.
"Anti-soda messages hit their target. Americans, on average, purchased about 40 gallons of full-calorie soda a year in 1998, according to sales data from the industry trade publication Beverage Digest analyzed by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. That fell to 30 gallons in 2014, about the level that Americans bought in 1980, before the obesity rates took off."
While the trend is seen across many demographics, it's not all good news.
"Among the most overweight people, weight and waist circumference have all continued rising in recent years."
"The recent calorie reductions appear to be good news, but they, alone, will not be enough to reverse the obesity epidemic. A paper by Kevin Hall, a researcher at the National Institutes of Health, estimated that for Americans to return to the body weights of 1978 by 2020, an average adult would need to reduce calorie consumption by 220 calories a day. The recent reductions represent just a fraction of that change.
“This was like a freight train going downhill without brakes,” Kelly Brownell, dean of the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University, said. “Anything slowing it down is good.”"
I'm taking this news optimistically, and hoping the trend will continue.
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Replies
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Interesting!0
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About time
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Childhood obesity has dropped by about 40%, too!0
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Outside of beverages, there are few clear trends. Experts who have examined the data say the reductions do not mean that Americans are flocking to farmer’s markets and abandoning fast food. Consumption of fruits and vegetables remains low; consumption of desserts remains high. Instead, people appear to be eating a little less of everything. Although consumption in nearly every category has been “cut some,” said Mr. Popkin, “the food part of our diet is horrendous and remains horrendous.”
Whoops
What's with the depressing plates of little food, though?0 -
It's because the cost of everything in this country has gone up and people are budgeting out their diet coke..
SNORT! Yes, I DO think I'm funny!0 -
I tend to agree with Lisa that this is more a financial issue than a health one, if you look at the charts on obesity over the last 20 years, it's frightening how fast this country is getting fatter and fatter. Skyrocketing.
I think Americans are wasting less food than we used to and that alone may account for buying less. More and more, I hear people agreeing with not wasting food, where I used to hear people talking about how much food they threw out.
I'll believe there is a downturn when I see it.0 -
I just figured people were switching from full sugar to diet0
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Pop sales are down, especially diet. Aspartame around here is well-loved, but it's illegal in some places and some people got very nervous about differing reports on it's safety. Pepsi took the aspartame out.I just figured people were switching from full sugar to diet
Maybe people are spending less, maybe aspartame, maybe the pop companies switching to those horrendously hard to open caps on the bottles and maybe being told not to drink it. I dunno, but they're down.
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Self reported data with no verification. There are some issues with that technique.
I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to ... I swear ... trust me ...0 -
Pop sales are down, especially diet. Aspartame around here is well-loved, but it's illegal in some places and some people got very nervous about differing reports on it's safety. Pepsi took the aspartame out.I just figured people were switching from full sugar to diet
Maybe people are spending less, maybe aspartame, maybe the pop companies switching to those horrendously hard to open caps on the bottles and maybe being told not to drink it. I dunno, but they're down.
Source? Was it in the article? I missed it, didn't I?
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No, it wasn't in the article. Maybe if you google it, you'll find it. I've read about it, probably in the WSJ. It's been on TV. It's not a secret. It's been going on for a while.
Pop sales are down, especially diet. Aspartame around here is well-loved, but it's illegal in some places and some people got very nervous about differing reports on it's safety. Pepsi took the aspartame out.I just figured people were switching from full sugar to diet
Maybe people are spending less, maybe aspartame, maybe the pop companies switching to those horrendously hard to open caps on the bottles and maybe being told not to drink it. I dunno, but they're down.
Source? Was it in the article? I missed it, didn't I?
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And here's the article where they explain where they came up with the stats in OP's article:
It’s Hard to Count Calories, Even for Researchers0 -
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Either hell hath frozen over, or we're about to discover evidence that CICO is wrong.
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Either hell hath frozen over, or we're about to discover evidence that CICO is wrong.
Well, one of the graphics I wound up reading showed soda consumption being down... And sports drinks being up by twice as much
http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/articles/2014-07-31/coca-cola-sales-decline-health-concerns-spur-relaunch#p3
PS: Thanks for the links, guys0 -
People are broke & being choosy about how they spend their $.0
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If you don't have access to a quality farmer's market that actually sells organic produce (not just homemade bread and jams), then the cost if produce can be rediculous compared to a box of instant potatoes or macaroni.0
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mangrothian wrote: »And here's the article where they explain where they came up with the stats in OP's article:
It’s Hard to Count Calories, Even for Researchers
Thanks very much for that. Fascinating! I love data!0 -
dobbywocky wrote: »If you don't have access to a quality farmer's market that actually sells organic produce (not just homemade bread and jams), then the cost if produce can be rediculous compared to a box of instant potatoes or macaroni.
That's an excuse and false, you can eat healthy on a budget even when fresh isn't readily available. Store brand frozen veggies. ..steamed. .coupons for lean meats etc. I can manage a salmon and spinach dinner for LESS per per person than what a McDonald's cost!0 -
dobbywocky wrote: »If you don't have access to a quality farmer's market that actually sells organic produce (not just homemade bread and jams), then the cost if produce can be rediculous compared to a box of instant potatoes or macaroni.
That's an excuse and false, you can eat healthy on a budget even when fresh isn't readily available. Store brand frozen veggies. ..steamed. .coupons for lean meats etc. I can manage a salmon and spinach dinner for LESS per per person than what a McDonald's cost!
True. And personally when I see the organic label, I specifically search for the non-organic version because I don't want to lay that premium. My regular grocery store suits my needs just fine. The sad part is that there are indeed places that are food deserts, where a grocery store with any kind of fresh or frozen veg is actually quite far away
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dobbywocky wrote: »If you don't have access to a quality farmer's market that actually sells organic produce (not just homemade bread and jams), then the cost if produce can be rediculous compared to a box of instant potatoes or macaroni.
That's an excuse and false, you can eat healthy on a budget even when fresh isn't readily available. Store brand frozen veggies. ..steamed. .coupons for lean meats etc. I can manage a salmon and spinach dinner for LESS per per person than what a McDonald's cost!
True. And personally when I see the organic label, I specifically search for the non-organic version because I don't want to lay that premium. My regular grocery store suits my needs just fine. The sad part is that there are indeed places that are food deserts, where a grocery store with any kind of fresh or frozen veg is actually quite far away
Yep. Impoverished neighborhoods tend to not have the same access to grocery stores that middle class ones do.
And while you can buy fresh fruits and veggies on a budget....those who have food scarcity tend go purchase foods that are overly processed because they have a longer shelf life. The idea of spending money on food that might go bad is not usually something that is worth the risk.
We have some really interesting programs here (Boston) to encourage people to get more fresh fruit and veggies. We have a program where your food stamp $ is doubled at farmers markets. We also have a 2 dollar program where if you bring a grocery bag, you can fill it to the rim with veggies for 2 bucks. I work with people in poverty and I've highly encouraged my clients use the programs, etc.
Really? Perhaps it is different in Boston, but here in DFW, I haven't noticed that to be the case.0 -
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It's definitely not the case around here, but the grocery market in Fort Worth and Dallas seems especially competitive for some reason.
There are 15 or so Walmarts alone in Fort Worth and it looks like no more than 3 or 4 miles between them as the crow flies, if Google Maps can be believed. There are three around what's generally seen as the impoverished part of town.
That doesn't mean it isn't an issue in other places, though.0 -
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The prices also reflect higher losses due to theft and higher insurance rates, so there's that, too.DeguelloTex wrote: »It's definitely not the case around here, but the grocery market in Fort Worth and Dallas seems especially competitive for some reason.
There are 15 or so Walmarts alone in Fort Worth and it looks like no more than 3 or 4 miles between them as the crow flies, if Google Maps can be believed. There are three around what's generally seen as the impoverished part of town.
That doesn't mean it isn't an issue in other places, though.
I am sure it does depend on the region. I have noticed it in every community I've lived in which has ranged from Vermont to Indiana to New York and now Boston. Of course as a social worker working with impoverished people, I am sure I am also more hyper sensitive to it than others.
Another interesting thing that tends to happen in areas of poverty even if they do have access to grocery stores, their prices tend to be higher. We have a Stop and Shop here in the really poor area of town and another one in the more well to do area of town. The prices in the poor store are significantly higher for the same product. While it doesn't seem to make sense, the people in poorer areas of town usually have less access to reliable transportation and there is less competition often, so the prices reflect that. They know that the people will drive for the better prices in the wealthier areas, so they tend to get the deals. I find it infuriating.
Around here, prices are higher in the wealthier areas. Markedly so. Not just for groceries, but the gas prices, too.
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In my area, all of the suburbs food demands are well met by large clean grocery stores, but if you go into the city you won't find a single walmart. There are a handful of small independent grocery stores, but not much of a presence by the big stores that service all of the suburbs. Essentially the grocery store density drop by >50% when going from outside the city to inside the city. While there are enough stores if you have a car, if you have to walk or take the bus (crappy system here, would take you an hour to get to a grocery store, you are often better off walking) you are typically restricted to the corner store as there are no nearby grocery stores. Buying a banana or Apple from the convenience store will cost 5x or more compared to the grocery store.0
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TimothyFish wrote: »dobbywocky wrote: »If you don't have access to a quality farmer's market that actually sells organic produce (not just homemade bread and jams), then the cost if produce can be rediculous compared to a box of instant potatoes or macaroni.
That's an excuse and false, you can eat healthy on a budget even when fresh isn't readily available. Store brand frozen veggies. ..steamed. .coupons for lean meats etc. I can manage a salmon and spinach dinner for LESS per per person than what a McDonald's cost!
True. And personally when I see the organic label, I specifically search for the non-organic version because I don't want to lay that premium. My regular grocery store suits my needs just fine. The sad part is that there are indeed places that are food deserts, where a grocery store with any kind of fresh or frozen veg is actually quite far away
Yep. Impoverished neighborhoods tend to not have the same access to grocery stores that middle class ones do.
And while you can buy fresh fruits and veggies on a budget....those who have food scarcity tend go purchase foods that are overly processed because they have a longer shelf life. The idea of spending money on food that might go bad is not usually something that is worth the risk.
We have some really interesting programs here (Boston) to encourage people to get more fresh fruit and veggies. We have a program where your food stamp $ is doubled at farmers markets. We also have a 2 dollar program where if you bring a grocery bag, you can fill it to the rim with veggies for 2 bucks. I work with people in poverty and I've highly encouraged my clients use the programs, etc.
Really? Perhaps it is different in Boston, but here in DFW, I haven't noticed that to be the case.
I thought it wasn't the case here, until I learned what to look for. There are apartment complexes that only have small overpriced convenience stores within walking distance, and as pointed out above, people are unwilling to pay for fresh food that may go bad when canned is available. Additionally, someone on food stamps might be worried about going over if something is marked per pound and end up with boxes at a fixed price instead.0 -
Is buying canned -- or frozen, for that matter -- rather than fresh produce really the problem here, though?barbecuesauce wrote: »TimothyFish wrote: »dobbywocky wrote: »If you don't have access to a quality farmer's market that actually sells organic produce (not just homemade bread and jams), then the cost if produce can be rediculous compared to a box of instant potatoes or macaroni.
That's an excuse and false, you can eat healthy on a budget even when fresh isn't readily available. Store brand frozen veggies. ..steamed. .coupons for lean meats etc. I can manage a salmon and spinach dinner for LESS per per person than what a McDonald's cost!
True. And personally when I see the organic label, I specifically search for the non-organic version because I don't want to lay that premium. My regular grocery store suits my needs just fine. The sad part is that there are indeed places that are food deserts, where a grocery store with any kind of fresh or frozen veg is actually quite far away
Yep. Impoverished neighborhoods tend to not have the same access to grocery stores that middle class ones do.
And while you can buy fresh fruits and veggies on a budget....those who have food scarcity tend go purchase foods that are overly processed because they have a longer shelf life. The idea of spending money on food that might go bad is not usually something that is worth the risk.
We have some really interesting programs here (Boston) to encourage people to get more fresh fruit and veggies. We have a program where your food stamp $ is doubled at farmers markets. We also have a 2 dollar program where if you bring a grocery bag, you can fill it to the rim with veggies for 2 bucks. I work with people in poverty and I've highly encouraged my clients use the programs, etc.
Really? Perhaps it is different in Boston, but here in DFW, I haven't noticed that to be the case.
I thought it wasn't the case here, until I learned what to look for. There are apartment complexes that only have small overpriced convenience stores within walking distance, and as pointed out above, people are unwilling to pay for fresh food that may go bad when canned is available. Additionally, someone on food stamps might be worried about going over if something is marked per pound and end up with boxes at a fixed price instead.
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