Good News: Americans Are Eating 78 Fewer Calories Every Day
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has crunched some numbers, and its conclusion is that Americans are munching less. And on more healthful stuff.
On average, working-aged adults were eating about 78 fewer calories per day in 2010, compared to five years earlier, according to a report released Thursday.
So what are we eating less of? Saturated fat. Researchers documented a 6 percent decline in calories from saturated fat between 2005 and 2010.
And fiber consumption is up. Fiber from foods fruits, veg and whole grains was up by 8 percent compared to 2005.
"We have made significant progress, but our work is not done," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack wrote in a release about the report.
The new report is based on data from the National Health and Examination Survey (NHANES), which collects details on eating habits and other health-related information from a nationally representative sample of about 10,000 people in the U.S.
So, what explains the drop? The recession of 2007-2009 seems to have played a role.
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