U.S. Food Consumption Data Is Now More Accurate Part 1
G. Douglas Andersen, DC, DACBSP, CCN
When I last wrote about food consumption in the United States (see U.S. Food Consumption and Obesity, Parts I-IV)1,2,3,4 in 2003,
the most up-to-date statistics I could find were 6 years old and based on disappearance data. The United States Department of
Agriculture's (USDA) Economic Research Service, (ERS) web site is where I found this information.5 They have made a few changes
in their presentation, the biggest of which is an estimate of the amount of food we do not eat.
Disappearance Data
Estimating food consumption by food disappearance statistics is accomplished as follows: Total production is added to the beginning food
stocks and total imports. Farm use, industrial use, exports, and ending stocks are then subtracted. Thus the disappearance data is the
amount of food that disappears. This is greater than the amount of food actually consumed.
Per Capita Consumption
There is now a rough estimation on the amount of food lost from the farm to the mouth. Losses occur at every step of production beginning
with growing, processing, transporting, packaging, retail, restaurant, cooking, spillage, spoilage and plate waste. The USDA's ERS
calculates that the above losses account for 25% of the disappearance data. Therefore, the numbers in the tables below are much more
accurate than my previous 4 part series. This month we will look at the data 1970-1995.
U.S. Food Supply Per Capita Calories
| Year |
Calories Per Person Per Day |
| 1970 |
2234 |
| 1975 |
2206 |
| 1980 |
2270 |
| 1985 |
2431 |
| 1990 |
2500 |
| 1995 |
2599 |
Per Capita Consumption Data - Food 1970-1995
Pounds per person per year
adjusted for losses) |
1970 |
1975 |
1980 |
1985 |
1990 |
1995 |
| Red Meat (beef, veal, pork & lamb) |
80.2 |
76.9 |
76.5 |
75.8 |
67.9 |
68.6 |
| Poultry (chicken & turkey) |
19.3 |
18.8 |
23.4 |
26.1 |
32.4 |
35.7 |
| Fish (fresh, frozen, canned & cured) |
8.4 |
8.6 |
8.8 |
10.5 |
10.5 |
10.3 |
| Nuts |
1.5 |
1.6 |
1.5 |
2.1 |
2.0 |
1.6 |
| Sugar |
84.8 |
81.1 |
85.6 |
89.8 |
94.3 |
102.6 |
| High Fructose Corn Syrup |
0.4 |
3.5 |
13.5 |
32.2 |
35.3 |
41.0 |
| Grain |
94.5
| 97.0
| 101.0
| 109.3
| 126.0
| 131.6 |
| Total Vegetables |
133.0 |
132.7 |
134.9 |
142.8 |
153.0 |
161.2 |
| Cheese |
8.8 |
11.0 |
13.3 |
17.0 |
18.2 |
19.6 |
| Total Fats (oils, added fats, butter, cream, etc.) |
43.5 |
44.2 |
47.5 |
53.5 |
53.3 |
55.1 |
| Fresh Fruit |
41.8 |
43.5 |
44.6 |
46.5 |
49.7 |
51.6 |
Per Capita Consumption Data - Beverages 1970-1995
| Gallons per person per year (adjusted for loss) |
1970 |
1975 |
1980 |
1985 |
1990 |
1995 |
| Milk |
31.3 |
29.5 |
27.6 |
26.7 |
26.8 |
25.7 |
| Juice |
4.8 |
5.7 |
6.1 |
6.2 |
6.2 |
6.5 |
| Bottled Water |
N/A |
1.2* |
2.4 |
4.5 |
8.0 |
12.1 |
| Soft Drinks: diet |
2.1 |
3.2 |
5.1 |
7.1 |
10.7 |
10.9 |
| Soft Drinks: regular |
22.2 |
25.0 |
29.9 |
28.7 |
35.6 |
36.5 |
| Alcohol |
21.6 |
25.0 |
28.3 |
28.0 |
27.5 |
24.7 |
*Statistics started in 1976
Like my U.S. Food Consumption and Obesity series based on straight disappearance data, these new statistics adjusted for loses
still yield the same conclusion which was, blaming obesity on one food group is simply incorrect. Next month we will look at the
years 1999-2003.
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References
1Andersen, G. Douglas. U.S. Food Consumption and Obesity, Part I in Dynamic Chiropractic, March 24, 2003; 21(7): 50.
2Andersen, G. Douglas. U.S. Food Consumption and Obesity, Part II in Dynamic Chiropractic, April 21, 2003; 21(9): 40.
3Andersen, G. Douglas. U.S. Food Consumption and Obesity, Part III in Dynamic Chiropractic, May 19, 2003; 21(11): 58.
4Andersen, G. Douglas. U.S. Food Consumption and Obesity, Part IV in Dynamic Chiropractic, June 16, 2003; 21(13): 22.
5www.ers.usda.gov
916 E. Imperial Hwy.
Brea, CA. 92821
(714) 990-0824
Fax:
(714) 990-1917
gdandersen@earthlink.net
www.andersenchiro.com
Copyright
2004-2007, G. Douglas Andersen, DC, DACBSP, CCN, 916 E. Imperial Hwy, Brea,
CA 92821, (714) 990-0824
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