Did You Know…
- The average American consumes only 16 grams of fiber on average when the recommended intake for women is 25 grams and 38 grams for men.
- The average American consumes 3,400 mg of sodium per day when the recommendation is to consume less than 2,300 mg.
- Reducing sodium intake by 1,200 mg per day could save up to $20 billion per year in medical expenses.
- There are more than 240,000 fast food establishments throughout the U.S.
- 1 in 2 adults have high blood pressure.
- Greater than 2 out of 3 adults are considered overweight or obese.
- Nearly 30% of boys and girls under age 20 are overweight or obese.
- Medical costs linked to obesity were estimated to be $147 billion in 2008
- The leading cause of death in America is heart disease which is preventable.
- In 2011, Americans ate 1.5 billion pounds of potato chips.
- On average, Americans consume 66 pounds of sugar per person, per year.
- The American Heart Association recommends women get no more than 6 teaspoons and no more than 9 teaspoons of added sugar per day for men.
- The average American consumes 19.5 teaspoons per day.
- Harvard researchers report that a single serving of processed red meat (a single hotdog) increased risk of death by 20%, unprocessed red meat by 13%. They also note that substituting with a healthier protein option can reduce risk of death by 7% (fish), 10% (legumes, low-fat dairy), 14% (whole grains/poultry), 19% (nuts).
- Added sugars and solid fats contribute to 40% of total daily calories for 2-18 year olds.
- More than 114 million Americans have diabetes or pre-diabetes.
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