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Get the Most, Spend the Least - Why America's Bargain Consumption is Costing us Dearly
By: Beth Doriani | 01/31/2012
If, like most Americans, you often become frustrated at the ever-climbing prices of food, you are alone. Compared to the rest of the world, that is. This may seem impossible, but according to a recent infographic report by Fast Company, as a nation, Americans spend the least on groceries and consume the most average daily calories.
The report depicted the average daily calorie intake of the world's highest and lowest consumers, by country. No surprise, the United States tops the charts, munching on over 3,700 calories per day. It is closely followed by many western European nations - Austria, Greece and Belgium to name a few.
What's most striking, however, is not how much we eat but how little, in comparison to the rest of the world, we spend on that food. Americans spend roughly 6.9% of their annual income on food. Most European countries consume about one to two hundred fewer calories per day but spend roughly 50-100% more on food than we do. What's more, their obesity rates are far lower than those in the US.
But when considering the amount of fast- and processed foods Americans eat, it is obvious that this country overindulges with cheap food that's bad for us. The full-scale endorsement of mechanized food preparation after WWII - canned fruits and veggies, even meat (sardines, yum!) - remains a staple in our culture today. We often feed our children sweet cereals at breakfast and ready-to-make frozen snacks, both of which do not provide the nutrients essential for health and growth.
Unlike our high-consuming European counterparts, Americans don't always take time to buy quality ingredients for our own kitchen. We may not have a treasured family recipe from grandma or a favorite national dish that requires effort, and pride. We frequently let someone else do the prep for us and focus on buying whatever's easiest.
But while our eating and shopping habits seem like a bargain, they seem to do much more harm than good. Obesity costs America $147 billion in annual health care costs. This means roughly 10% of every dollar we spend on health care goes toward combating obesity-related diseases.
Try doing a cost-benefit analysis next time you're in the grocery store. Does your cart have more fresh fruits and vegetables in it? For the future of America, I hope it does!
To see the full infographic, click here.
Source: Food Service Warehouse
Posted in Health Care
comments
Mihaela Grad says:
Wed, February 01, 2012 at 3:45:pm
My parents, who live in Europe, always comment on the fact that Americans seem to be eating everywhere all the time. The portions in the U.S. are a lot larger than in Europe and fast food is a lot more affordable here than in a lot of other countries, particularly in developing countries. They are always blown away by how inexpensive groceries are in the U.S. compared to Europe in direct terms and in proportion to incomes.
Another food-related cultural difference is the fact that Americans have, in large part, stopped cooking at home. Even the most accomplished American hostess will be put to shame by the amount and variety of dishes an Eastern European woman will assemble over the course of several days to show their hospitality. Is this time well spent? One could argue this point to death.
Thank you for putting things in perspective, Beth!
Maggie Brandt says:
Tue, January 31, 2012 at 1:33:pm
I often fall prey to the easy, already-processed foods that are doing little for my health, but I continue eating them because they are easy and cheap. However, I was recently grocery shopping and was pleasantly surprised to see how cheap some fruits and vegetables were. It may take a little extra effort, like shopping at farmers markets or buying only in-season produce, but maybe we can start eating healthier and still keep food affordable!