Federals' Study Says Americans Eating Healthier, But Too Much

Federals’ Study Says Americans
Eating Healthier, But Too Much

By Jose G. Peña

While most Americans know the importance of eating well, it appears they have been unable to manage prosperity when it comes to nutrition.

The results of a study released by USDA’s Economic Research Service in July indicate that U.S. per capita food consumption grew more than 11 percent from about 1800 pounds per year in the early 1980s to more than 2000 pounds in 2000.

On first thought, the increase in food consumption per capita appears related to the increasing trend toward obesity, but the report also indicates that Americans are eating healthier. The average U.S. resident consumed 20 percent more fruits, vegetables, and cereals. The report also indicates the average share of imports in U.S. food consumption climbed from eight percent to 11 percent, and attributes part of the sharp rise from 1996 to 2001 to the robust U.S. economy and the strong dollar.

While agricultural producers are still viewed by the general public with less than high regard since they are purported to pollute the environment by using high volumes of chemicals and diesel fuel, to use large amounts of scarce resources, such as water, and are now using genetically modified organisms to produce agriculture products, Americans consume the cheapest and safest food in the world. Americans spend an average of about 10 percent of their disposable income for a combination of food at home and food away from home.

Meanwhile, it appears that Americans are becoming increasingly obese. According to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 64.5 percent of U.S. adults, age 20 years and older, are overweight and 30.5 percent are obese. Severe obesity prevalence among adults is now 4.7 percent, up from 2.9 percent during the early 90s. Earlier this year, for example, in a report in Man's Fitness magazine, Houston, Texas was declared "America's Fattest City" for the third year in a row with the highest rate of overweight people (Body Mass Index rating of 25 or more), based on a report of a survey by the CDC. San Antonio was ranked as the city with the highest rate of obesity among adults, with 31.1 percent of the adult population rated as obese (Body Mass Index rating of 30 or more). Denver, Colorado was rated as the city with the lowest rate of obesity among adults with 14.2 percent of the adult population.

(It should be pointed out that the standards used to determine "overweight" and "obese" conditions were significantly revised in the last couple of years, dramatically shifting "permissible" weights downward and creating instant obesity in tens of thousands of individuals whose weight was previously considered acceptable. Because the new calculations ignore muscle mass and treat all weight as fat, they include such unlikely candidates as Sylvester Stallone and basketball great Michael Jordan in the tubs of lard category. The government’s breathless warnings about rampant obesity should thus be taken with a grain of salt — and maybe a pat of butter. —Ed.)

As the number of dual-income and single-parent families increases, it appears that time has become a precious and scarce resource. Families are willing to pay for the convenience of eating out, buying ready-to-eat meals, or dining on fast foods. While food is plentiful and cheap, thanks to a highly efficient U.S. agribusiness system, Americans remain relatively disinterested when it comes to knowledge about the nutrient content, especially fat and calories, of food prepared away from home.

Americans seem to want a lot of food that tastes good and is cheap. For example, a Big Mac, medium fries, and medium Coke contain about 1200 calories (more than 50 grams of fat) and would account for almost 63 percent of the daily calories and 83 percent of the recommended fat intake of an average adult daily diet. The ironic part is that this meal may not satisfy some and that same individual may not exercise at all.

On the positive side, USDA's July report of food consumption also indicated that while total per capita food consumption increased about 11 percent, the average U.S. resident consumed 20 percent more fruits, vegetables, and cereals, and consumption of animal products increased by only seven percent. It appears that the perceived health-related benefits of more plant fiber and less animal fat in diets shaped the pattern of U.S. food consumption. According to USDA's report, U.S. per capita consumption of red meat fell from more than nine percent of the average U.S. diet in the 1980s to less than eight percent in recent years. Dairy products declined from 30 to 28 percent, and vegetable consumption rose from 19 percent to 21 percent.

While the U.S. agribusiness system is doing an outstanding job in providing the very best and cheapest food in the world, Americans have been unable to manage such abundance. So, while a certain segment of American society is consuming a healthier diet with more vegetables and less fat, it appears that the vast majority of the American population remains either disinterested, unwilling or unable to switch to a healthier diet as evidenced by the trend towards obesity.

Fortunately, community leaders are recognizing the American weakness for food and are implementing nutrition educational programs as well as placing access restrictions on high-calorie food sources for teens in schools.

The demand-driven globalization of agriculture due to higher off-season demand for fruits, vegetables and specialty items is credited for part of the increase in food consumption per capita. The U.S. consumer has been the primary beneficiary of the U.S. agribusiness systems which also perceived the need to open the borders.

For example, the elimination of trade restrictions between the U.S. and Mexico, as mandated by the North American Free Trade Agreement, allowed growers in Mexico to ship more of their produce to the U.S. According to USDA's report, Mexico is now the source of 27 percent of U.S. fruit imports and 38 percent of vegetable imports. Tomatoes and bell and chili peppers lead vegetable imports from Mexico. Off-season fruit imports from Chile and Argentina, and vegetable imports from Peru, Ecuador, and other South American countries, are driving up overall U.S. import shares of these crops. Latin American countries supply an additional 40 percent of U.S. imported fruits (in weight terms), chiefly bananas, grapes, and melons.

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