3 ms·

The study quoted in that post is completely flawed, as people mention in the comments. It isn't a study of how much is actually consumed by Americans, it's a s

The study quoted in that post is completely flawed, as people mention in the comments. It isn't a study of how much is actually consumed by Americans, it's a study of how much food is produced in America, factoring in imports/exports, and then assuming that the leftovers all get eaten which just isn't true at all. The US certainly has an obesity problem, but there's no way the average American consumes almost 3800 calories a day.

electromagnetic 17y ago
3500 calories ~ 1lb of body fat. So eating almost 1800 calories over the recommended would mean gaining 1lb of weight every 2 days, or roughly 14-15lbs a month. 182lbs per year. Basically in the 45 years when your calorific consumption should be the maximum between ~18 and ~60+, you would gain around 8 tons of body weight. I'm sorry, I love taking a shot at America for the obesity problem, but an 8 ton man? Really? Did the people who wrote that study even think that figure through? They factored in imports/exports, but they didn't bother to even guesstimate a percentage for food actually consumed in a household.
- smokey_the_bear 17y ago
  3800 is surely high, but your caloric needs go up as you gain weight, so there would be an equilibrium point before 8 tons.
- lena 17y ago
  I totally agree that the numbers are off, but your calculation is incorrect as well, because most obese people burn much more than 2000 calories a day. Someone who is about 240 pounds could eat about 3000 calories a day simply to stay at that weight, even more if they exercise a lot. Of course this is not really this simple, people vary, hormones, metabolism etc. all affect weight loss/gain, but the general principle stands.
- machrider 17y ago
  As smokey_the_bear said, your basal metabolic rate will go up as you gain weight, meaning you will eventually need 3800 calories a day to maintain your current weight. I'm guessing this point is somewhere around 400lb, roughly. You'd have to add calories above and beyond to keep gaining weight. Also you have to look at the level of activity. An athlete or construction worker can probably eat 3800 calories every day and not gain weight.
  - electromagnetic 17y ago
    I know, I was doing it more to point out how sensationally stupid claiming the average American consumes 3800 calories is. The average American male weighs 190+lbs (IIRC) up 30lbs on 50 years. My problem with calorific calculations, and even bodyweight averages in themselves is that they're so bogus. Post-war diets are vastly different than our current diets. The factors that effect body weight are also vastly different, I'm sorry but we've got thousands of medicines that weren't available 50 years ago, and one of the major contributing factors to weight loss is disease. Americas weight problem isn't going to be resolved by figures and statistics, and it's certainly going to be hurt by poor statistics like those provided in the study in question. How can a 190lb average American Joe consume 3800 calories working an Average sedentary job not be gaining a pound of body fat per week? The figures are ludicrously disjointed. I understand that everybody is different, believe me I work in construction, I likely eat a thousand calories more than I'm recommended and I'm presently losing weight. My BMI says I'm going to drop dead, my vitals tell a different story. My heart is a near-perfect metronome when at rest (literally ~60 bpm), my body fat on my limbs is exceptionally low (especially my legs due to lots of moving heavy weights). When I'm told I'm obese because of some voodoo astrology bodyweight index by a doctor who's showing all the signs of high blood pressure and could stand to lose a good 10 index points himself, I don't listen and in 20 years down the line I still won't be listening to the new doctor who's taken over the dead guys office because he'll be well on his way to rosy red cheeks and shortness of breath from picking up a tongue depressor. Governments are paying for these studies that are providing sheer utter crap and they're trying to resolve weight issues by indirect action and instructing their overweight medical professionals to tell their patients to lose weight. Here's my very simple solution: Vehicle free down towns nationwide. Not only will it be phenomenal for the environment (air quality, noise pollution, etc.) and provide a boon for public transit infrastructures, but it will also mean everyone is forced to get at least some exercise in during a work day.
starkfist 17y ago
there's no way the average American consumes almost 3800 calories a day. Here's an "average" american diet: breakfast: bagel with creamcheese = 430 calories mid-morning latte = 225 calories lunch:6" subway cold cut sandwich = 410 calories lunch: small bag chips = 400 calories mid afternoon kit-kat = 500 calories dinner: spaghetti and meatballs = 970 calories 12 oz bottle of budweiser = 110 calories total: 3045 calories Considering that many americans are going to get the 12" sub, drink more than 1 beer and a bunch of soda, have seconds for dinner, and eat "dessert" every night, it doesn't seem that far-fetched that the average american consumes 3800 calories per day.
- icey 17y ago
  Your numbers seem off: Starbucks latte with nonfat milk = 168 calories http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-starbucks-coffee-caffe-latte-i57042 http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-starbucks-coffee-caff... 6" Subway Cheesesteak (It was the worst one I could find on browsing) = 360 calories http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-subway-sandwiches-6-cheese-steak-i56054 http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-subway-sandwiches-6-c... Small bag of Lays potato chips = 150 calories http://www.dietfacts.com/html/nutrition-facts/frito-lay-lays-potato-chips-classic-flavored-small-bag-27740.htm http://www.dietfacts.com/html/nutrition-facts/frito-lay-lays... Kit-kat bar = 210 calories http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-hersheys-kit-kat-milk-chocolate-i126665 http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-hersheys-kit-kat-milk... Fazoli's spaghetti and meatballs (Again, the worst I could find) = 720 calories http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-fazolis-spaghetti-meatballs-i53370 http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-fazolis-spaghetti-mea... If you were to add in an extra large vanilla shake from McDonald's you'd add a quick 1100 calories to your day.
  - starkfist 17y ago
    I used the bruegger's bagel and medium latte from their website: http://www.brueggers.com/documents/nutrition.pdf http://www.brueggers.com/documents/nutrition.pdf Subway value was from the "Cold Cut Combo": http://www.subway.com/subwayroot/menunutrition/nutrition/pdf/nutritionvalues.pdf http://www.subway.com/subwayroot/menunutrition/nutrition/pdf... (Note that Subway's page says the cheesesteak sub you mention is 520 calories, not 360.) spaghetti and meatballs value was from here http://www.calorieking.com/foods/calories-in-italian-spaghetti-meatballs-with-tomato-sauce-regular_f-Y2lkPTE3Mzc4JmJpZD0xJmZpZD02NjA0NCZlaWQ9NTI0Nzc5NjY1JnBvcz00JnBhcj0ma2V5PXNwYWdoZXR0aQ.html http://www.calorieking.com/foods/calories-in-italian-spaghet... I did inflate the potato chips, I thought the small bag was 3oz, not 1oz. Also I thought the kit kat was per bar. 3800 calories is still only a little bit of work. Most people I know drink 2 lattes, 2 or more beers, and would consider the 6" sub the "diet" option.

electromagnetic 17y ago

3500 calories ~ 1lb of body fat. So eating almost 1800 calories over the recommended would mean gaining 1lb of weight every 2 days, or roughly 14-15lbs a month. 182lbs per year. Basically in the 45 years when your calorific consumption should be the maximum between ~18 and ~60+, you would gain around 8 tons of body weight. I'm sorry, I love taking a shot at America for the obesity problem, but an 8 ton man? Really? Did the people who wrote that study even think that figure through? They factored in imports/exports, but they didn't bother to even guesstimate a percentage for food actually consumed in a household.

smokey_the_bear 17y ago
3800 is surely high, but your caloric needs go up as you gain weight, so there would be an equilibrium point before 8 tons.
lena 17y ago
I totally agree that the numbers are off, but your calculation is incorrect as well, because most obese people burn much more than 2000 calories a day. Someone who is about 240 pounds could eat about 3000 calories a day simply to stay at that weight, even more if they exercise a lot. Of course this is not really this simple, people vary, hormones, metabolism etc. all affect weight loss/gain, but the general principle stands.
machrider 17y ago
As smokey_the_bear said, your basal metabolic rate will go up as you gain weight, meaning you will eventually need 3800 calories a day to maintain your current weight. I'm guessing this point is somewhere around 400lb, roughly. You'd have to add calories above and beyond to keep gaining weight. Also you have to look at the level of activity. An athlete or construction worker can probably eat 3800 calories every day and not gain weight.
- electromagnetic 17y ago
  I know, I was doing it more to point out how sensationally stupid claiming the average American consumes 3800 calories is. The average American male weighs 190+lbs (IIRC) up 30lbs on 50 years. My problem with calorific calculations, and even bodyweight averages in themselves is that they're so bogus. Post-war diets are vastly different than our current diets. The factors that effect body weight are also vastly different, I'm sorry but we've got thousands of medicines that weren't available 50 years ago, and one of the major contributing factors to weight loss is disease. Americas weight problem isn't going to be resolved by figures and statistics, and it's certainly going to be hurt by poor statistics like those provided in the study in question. How can a 190lb average American Joe consume 3800 calories working an Average sedentary job not be gaining a pound of body fat per week? The figures are ludicrously disjointed. I understand that everybody is different, believe me I work in construction, I likely eat a thousand calories more than I'm recommended and I'm presently losing weight. My BMI says I'm going to drop dead, my vitals tell a different story. My heart is a near-perfect metronome when at rest (literally ~60 bpm), my body fat on my limbs is exceptionally low (especially my legs due to lots of moving heavy weights). When I'm told I'm obese because of some voodoo astrology bodyweight index by a doctor who's showing all the signs of high blood pressure and could stand to lose a good 10 index points himself, I don't listen and in 20 years down the line I still won't be listening to the new doctor who's taken over the dead guys office because he'll be well on his way to rosy red cheeks and shortness of breath from picking up a tongue depressor. Governments are paying for these studies that are providing sheer utter crap and they're trying to resolve weight issues by indirect action and instructing their overweight medical professionals to tell their patients to lose weight. Here's my very simple solution: Vehicle free down towns nationwide. Not only will it be phenomenal for the environment (air quality, noise pollution, etc.) and provide a boon for public transit infrastructures, but it will also mean everyone is forced to get at least some exercise in during a work day.

starkfist 17y ago

there's no way the average American consumes almost 3800 calories a day. Here's an "average" american diet: breakfast: bagel with creamcheese = 430 calories mid-morning latte = 225 calories lunch:6" subway cold cut sandwich = 410 calories lunch: small bag chips = 400 calories mid afternoon kit-kat = 500 calories dinner: spaghetti and meatballs = 970 calories 12 oz bottle of budweiser = 110 calories total: 3045 calories Considering that many americans are going to get the 12" sub, drink more than 1 beer and a bunch of soda, have seconds for dinner, and eat "dessert" every night, it doesn't seem that far-fetched that the average american consumes 3800 calories per day.

icey 17y ago
Your numbers seem off: Starbucks latte with nonfat milk = 168 calories http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-starbucks-coffee-caffe-latte-i57042 http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-starbucks-coffee-caff... 6" Subway Cheesesteak (It was the worst one I could find on browsing) = 360 calories http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-subway-sandwiches-6-cheese-steak-i56054 http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-subway-sandwiches-6-c... Small bag of Lays potato chips = 150 calories http://www.dietfacts.com/html/nutrition-facts/frito-lay-lays-potato-chips-classic-flavored-small-bag-27740.htm http://www.dietfacts.com/html/nutrition-facts/frito-lay-lays... Kit-kat bar = 210 calories http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-hersheys-kit-kat-milk-chocolate-i126665 http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-hersheys-kit-kat-milk... Fazoli's spaghetti and meatballs (Again, the worst I could find) = 720 calories http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-fazolis-spaghetti-meatballs-i53370 http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-fazolis-spaghetti-mea... If you were to add in an extra large vanilla shake from McDonald's you'd add a quick 1100 calories to your day.
- starkfist 17y ago
  I used the bruegger's bagel and medium latte from their website: http://www.brueggers.com/documents/nutrition.pdf http://www.brueggers.com/documents/nutrition.pdf Subway value was from the "Cold Cut Combo": http://www.subway.com/subwayroot/menunutrition/nutrition/pdf/nutritionvalues.pdf http://www.subway.com/subwayroot/menunutrition/nutrition/pdf... (Note that Subway's page says the cheesesteak sub you mention is 520 calories, not 360.) spaghetti and meatballs value was from here http://www.calorieking.com/foods/calories-in-italian-spaghetti-meatballs-with-tomato-sauce-regular_f-Y2lkPTE3Mzc4JmJpZD0xJmZpZD02NjA0NCZlaWQ9NTI0Nzc5NjY1JnBvcz00JnBhcj0ma2V5PXNwYWdoZXR0aQ.html http://www.calorieking.com/foods/calories-in-italian-spaghet... I did inflate the potato chips, I thought the small bag was 3oz, not 1oz. Also I thought the kit kat was per bar. 3800 calories is still only a little bit of work. Most people I know drink 2 lattes, 2 or more beers, and would consider the 6" sub the "diet" option.