Do Americans Eat 3,790 Calories Per Day?

It would be interesting to see the average daily calorie usage of individuals due to their activity level.

If the original source of these figures are the USDA numbers that came out last Spring, there are a lot of provisos. What they did was compute this from the actual food production in the United States divided by population, and there were lots of adjustments they had to make, including imports and exports, food waste, food spoilage, etc. It's sort of like trying to measure how many miles you've driven by measuring your car's tread wear rather than using an odometer. You can't really put much credence in these kinds of numbers, other than for year-to-year trends, and even those get out of whack if you try to compare years that are far apart.

That's a really horrific number IF it is true. But, for once, I think Mark could be correct here. I'm a pretty muscular guy with a stronger metabolism than most, but 3,790 calories is almost what I would eat if I were bulking. For the sedentary, this is beyond overkill.

If Mark is right, these figures are meaningless. I know that a lot of crop production in the US is wasted to keep prices artificially high. There is also the factor of food being donated to other countries.

As well, I read recently that here in Australia about 1/4 of household food purchases are wasted, and I would expect a similar figure apples to the US.

If this is true, then even in 1980 Americans were eating too much. I'm not so sure it's blown out of proportion. After all, this would certainly account for the growing obesity epidemic, right? I mean, obviously Americans are eating far too much, or we wouldn't be overweight.
It surprises me that many people even have the time to eat this much. Or perhaps it's just the type of food that they're eating.

3,790 calories per day? I don’t think these numbers are accurate. 3,000 would have been a little more believable, but still an overestimation.

If we are talking averages, I think a real number is no more than 2,300.

Claire S: Well, weight gain and loss is not just sheer calories in minus calories out. I wish it were that simple. Food type makes a difference, thermic effect makes a difference, perhaps even individual metabolic types (what foods a person metabolizes well). Also, if you don't feed your organs the right nutrients, you can run into problems. For example, if you're not properly hydrated, your kidneys shut down and your liver takes up some of their duties. However, your liver is also in charge of metabolizing fat, and this can become a lower priority. I've seen people lose weight simply by adding half a gallon of pure water a day.

Ryan - Yes, that's true, you're right that the type of food would make a difference. I'm sure you know more about it than me, but when I think about it, a few value meals at McDonald's would probably add up to 3700...especially if you go for the giant Coke and large fries.
If we were going on food surplus as a way to estimate calories, wouldn't there be a much greater change over the past 20 years? So much more food is produced than needed these days, it seems that the calories per person would be way higher.
Again, I'm not too knowledgable on this particular subject, just speculating.

Food wastage is certainly becoming an issue in my house. We moved to the country last year and now I only shop once a week... it's difficult to buy the perfect amount of fresh fruit and veggies to last that week, and sometimes I actually make too much supper just so I won't have to throw things away.

Lonnie,

That is surprising. I thought it is easier to buy fresh fruits and veggies in the country.

Amish eat around 3,000 to 5,000 a day do to their activity level/

Our community is 400 people and, although there is a local store, it's very expensive. I drive 20 miles to the nearest large town to buy groceries at a supermarket. We are not a farming community here so there are no locally grown choices.

When I looked at the chart, and took the estimate math, here are the mathamatics:

Average Daily Caloric consumption: 3790

Total Fat: 153 grams (Fat calories: 1377)
Percentage of fat in calories: (1377/3790) 36%

Total Protein: 120 grams (Protein calories: 480)
Percentage of protein in calories: (480/3790) 13%

Total Carbohydrates: 483 grams (Carb calories 1932)

Total Caloric consumption: 3790

We are consuming: 36% fat, 13% protein, and 51% protein. In other words, we are actually not getting enough protein in our diet. Seems that the right way to go from here on foward is to consume more protein.

So, from here on, low fat and low carb diets arn't the solution. Instead, Americans ought to go on high protein diets.

And based on the statistics, Americans were NOT eating meat, but they were eating fatty, sugary junk food. So, it's NOT all the meat that we are eating that's making us sick, it's the junk food, laden with refined carbs, trans fats, and too much saturated fats in our diets. In other words, Americans should now focus on eating more lean animal protein, and less junk stuff like burgers, fries, ice cream, pizza, and sugary drinks, sodas, and fraps.

Now I am not saying give up on cakes, ice cream, and fraps, but I AM saying, give up on trans fats. Lower the saturated fat and omega 6 polyunsaturated fats, eat more momounsaturated and omega 3 fatty acids, and put more protein and less sugar in the diet.

Instead of tofu, eat a variety of lean protein (fish, chicken, lean red meat, especially bison). New research are now showing that people who eat lean meat diets had actually lower cholesterol levels than people who are eating soy protein.

Avoid vegetarian diets. How many times do I have to tell these greedy medical people. We ate meat since our first days here on earth since we were chimpanzees. And this statistic proves that we arn't eating a lot of meat, but we are eating a lot of junk food. How could we eat lots of meat, since we are only consuming 13% of our caloric intake in protein? However, Americans need to eat a lot more fruits and vegtables and less pizza, cakes, and sugary drinks. And these statistic further shows that it's not the cholesterol in the foods that's causing heart attacks, but it's the trans fats and excessive amounts of sugar.

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By the way, Gerald Ford, who was president from 1973 to 1977, passed away yesterday, most likely from natural causes. He was 93 years old.

Sausage Biscuit from Chick-Fil-A with Hash Browns and and Orange Juice - 890 Calories

Big and Tasty Combo from McDonalds, with Large Fries and Large Coke (with 2 Packets of Ketchup) - 1380 Calories.

Snicker's Bar - 280 Calories

Grande Frappuccino Blended Coffee, Mocha, No Whip Cream from Starbucks - 267 Calories

Madeira Steak Tips with Sauce, Potatoes and Toast from Applebee's - 909 Calories

2 Glasses of Miller Lite - 192 Calories

Total Calories for the day - 3918

That is what 3900 calories would look like over the course of the day. I personally know people who eat more than this every day, and people who eat way less.

In my heavier days, I could eat this much no problem, so I can buy those numbers for the "average" American.

The Middle Manager - After reading your post, I need to take some antacids and lie down!

It's important if we eat more protein to also drink lots of water, or it's possible to develop ketoacidosis...

Propionic Acidemia eh?

Well no, that's not really what I was talking about. Anyhow, I just learned about ketoacidosis from Gary Heaven, founder of Curves. I don't know if he's a quack or not, but I did lose 60 lbs following his regime. And I was careful to exercise lots and drink lots of water while on the high protein, low carb diet.

I use the FAO data instead of other data out there - one reason is because they do include data for waste, spoilage and such.

JAMES - you hit on something I've written about before - the protein in our diet. As a country we actually consume less protein, and much less animal protein than countries all over the spectrum for dietary fat who live longer with less disease; and we consume way more added sugars and sweeteners - the amount of sugars and sweeteners in our diet is sickening (literally and figuratively!)

I was only kidding, Lonnie! Yes, it's important to drink adaquate amounts of water to help the kidneys function properly. Good for you, Lonnie!! People are always saying, I tried this or that diet, but it didn't work. The truth is, they never really followed the diet. Curves is OK, and YOU proved it!!
James, do you really think that Americans, who are eating too much, should ADD more food (calories)to their poor diet to fix it?? What about eating LESS fat and carbs. thereby making the percentage of the protein they are presently eating higher? Here's Dr J's first rule for weight loss.
1) You can't eat yourself thin!! You must NOT eat yourself thin!

What about eating LESS fat and carbs. thereby making the percentage of the protein they are presently eating higher?

Fixing the "percentage of calories" does not remedy the absolute intake issue; attempting to reduce fat and carbohydrate and maintaining protein intake may reduce calories but may not have the desired effect since satiety is strongly related to ability to maintain a calorie deficit.

If someone isn't consuming enough quality protein there is good evidence they'll continue to eat until they do reach an intake that is a bare minimum - protein is a strong satiety trigger with a number of different hormones in the body....if you're not reaching an adequate intake, you're left hungry and eventually you will eat something - it's not willpower here - willpower can only take you so far to deny obligate biological requirements for amino acids, ya know?

In my heavier days, I could eat this much no problem, so I can buy those numbers for the "average" American.

I think the intake estimates are fairly accurate - something few even consider in the numbers...the heavier we get as a nation, the more calories we require to maintain weight, so it's no surprise that as we've grown heavier, our calorie intake has continued to increase and even minor intakes over that level for maintenance slowly increase weight and increase requirement to maintain!

Guys, I am not saying that we should eat more, I am saying that we shouldn't be eating more junk food.

And I believe that putting more protein in the diet makes us eat less, because proteins makes us feel more full. And are we eating too much fat? Look. 35 percent of our intake is fat. The fact is, we are eating unhealthy fats, and unhealthy carbs.

I say, Americans should LOWER saturated fat consumption. Now I am not saying that saturated fat is bad for you. Saturated fats are needed for the process of vitamin A, and for vitamin D absorption. The problem is that Americans are eating 50 to 60 grams of saturated fats a day. We should be eating between 15 and 30 grams of saturated fats. Though you should lower saturated fats, don't make them below 8 percent of your dietary consumption. However, Americans must eliminate trans fats and cut back on sugar and refined carbs and eat more proteins and substitute refined carbs with complex carbs and fiber.

Instead of white french toast, try whole grain french toast. Aim "whole grain", on bagels, pancakes, and bread. Put fruits and veggies in your diet. Substitute fatty meat for more of the leaner ones (Don't go too lean or else you may be vitamin D deficient)

And Try increase your protein intake to at least 25 percent of your dietary intake.

And, once again, Americans shouldn't be cutting back on meat, but they need to cut back on junk foods.

We should be eating between 15 and 30 grams of saturated fats. Though you should lower saturated fats, don't make them below 8 percent of your dietary consumption.

May I ask what data you have that supports this level of intake as optimal?

I found that the high protein diet allowed me to be active, where the low fat diets I've tried in the past always left me feeling weak and lethargic. I also love to eat on that diet. A tenderloin with a big salad is WAY better than a celery stick and 1/2 slice dry toast!

Lonnie: Actually, the favorite meal of Vince Gironda, the "Iron Guru" and best trainer ever in bodybuilding, was filet mignon and salad.

I know it's one of my favorites! But anything that combines meat and veggies is delicious to me.

Don't waste your life counting calories. Every year people count and every year people get fatter. Obviously the counting system doesn't work. Try buffalodiet.com. If you don't drop dead on it; and you won't; you will lose the pounds. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Buffalopreacher - I suspect the people who gain weight every year aren't the same people who count calories. ;-)

Buffalopreacher... I've begun reading about your diet (stopped to go eat dinner) and when I was telling my husband about getting drunk on vodka every night for the first week, and the week with all the danishes, I just started laughing. You are a great writer (I'd love to proofread your work and clean up your typos) and I laughed 5 lbs off tonight!

Buffalopreacher - Lonnie's comment intrigued me so I started reading your "diet book". Um, it's a joke, right?

Lonnie, only diabetics can develop ketoacidosis. And to develop ketosis, even if you eat tons and tons of protein all day, you need to cut carb, not just increase protein. Even the most active person in the world, consuming the most protein, cannot achieve ketosis eating more than 80 grams carb a day or so, and I'm being generous here. Most people who go on the Atkins diet need to drop carb grams to around 15g a day to achieve ketosis, and the carb grams have to be very specific - for example, they have to come from lettuce and zucchini, but not carrots, or they'll get out of ketosis. It is not a dangerous state that is easy to achieve if you have a bit extra steak; even people working hard to achieve it have a hard time.

Calorie counting is genious and the only sure-fire way to manage your weight effectively. Though I suggest not getting too bogged down in percentages and exactly how many servings of certain types of foods you should eat daily- it's just too confusing. Just avoid processed foods. If you keep things natural (not necessarily "organic"), you will most likely end up meeting the recommended servings of important food groups. Personal experience with my own health as well as my part-time job as a trainer has shown me how eating right and exercising regularly works better than any diet, and the results are lasting. But I have suggestions specifically relating to reducing calories consumption which usually provide immediate results.

So I have tips to share that SERIOUSLY work if you want weight loss results fast.
1. Avoid sauces of all kinds: mayo, dressings, "special sauces", or creams. Even if they are low-fat alternatives, they are loaded with hidden calories

2. No cheese. Unless it is fat-free or if it is high-end cheese in very small portions, avoid it. Once again, it is all high in fat and calories that are usually unnecessary.

3. Salads can be very dangerous when trying to lose weight. Often times, a person who orders a salad for dinner ends up consuming hundreds of calories more than their counterpart who ordered a beefy cheese burger simply because they cover their salad in oily dressing. It's always hard not to use all of the dressing served to you at a restaurant.

4. Hungry during the day? Eat an apple when you're hungry other than meal time. It is very low in calories considering how it fills you up. Drink water as well. Often times when you feel hunger pangs, thirst generally coincides.

5. Eat breakfast, it kicks your metabolism going early. Skipping breakfast puts your body into survival mode holding onto carbs and calories that would be burned faster if you ate breakfast.

Trust me. Five steps to success. I dropped 7 pounds in 2 weeks once I was given these really easy tips for cutting out high calorie foods. Also, I have never been overweight which goes to show that if you find yourself in a rut, cutting out certain foods could break the plateau. I love to answer diet and food questions, so feel free to send anything my way.

But isn't there 3500 calories in one pound ? so that would mean that if the people on here didn't do any exercise at all they'd be gaining a pound a day !?

Madison, you have to discount the maintenance calories that people use in their lifestyle + breathing etc. As the average American is pretty hefty, their maintenance calories are probably as high as 3,900 or so. That would add up to 1 pound gained every 50 days for the extra 70 calories they are consuming, or 7 pounds over a year, which sounds about right for most people.

McDonalds:
Double Big Mac - 700 calories - (39g fat!)
Large Fries - 550
Large Coke - 320
Total : 1570 calories

In one simple meal at McDonalds. note : normal big macs are 580 calories.

I don't know about you guys, but thats INSANE! That's not all that filling and thats just wayy too many calories.

One time at McDonalds at wal-mart, after ordering I checked mine and my moms meals on the wall chart (i got a mcchicken, she got a crispy chicken, one medium fries split, and 1 medium pop). Everyone looked at me like I was insane as i'm telling my mom how many calories was in everything we just ate (it's displayed on the one wall because of new laws or whatever). Yup..

www.dietfacts.com is where I get the information from.

I just began dieting and when I use BMI (Body Mass Index)or LBM (Lean Body Mass) calculators I know they have to be off. I'm at 250lbs and used to be 205lbs. When I was 205 I was weak, felt tired all the time, and looked sickly thin. Yet according to these calculators my LBM is supposedly 155-156lbs. Now, I just want to know what my true LBM is and how many calories I should consume per day. I am 5'11", 29 years old, and a male. I work out 5-6 times per week. Both weight training and cardio.

I believe if you look at the site- that number is based on the AMOUNT OF DAILY CALORIES OF FOOD PURCHASED- and doesn't reflect the amount of food that people throw away on a daily basis. I live alone for example- and as a single person there is no way that I can buy and consume packages of certain foods (like vegetables, or chicken) and cook & eat them all before they spoil- they just don't come in small enough packages! Only now are single serving packages being introduced to the point in which a large % of my food doesn't spoil before I have to go shopping again. When you go out to eat... how much to you leave on your plate? Have you purchased a new product and thought it was junk after who bites and trashed an entire 16 container of something? There are sooo many reasons this number could be so high. Remember it takes only 50 extra calories per day to gain 5 lbs a year (20 lbs in 4 years)... and if people are eating 1500 extra per day they would be at least 156lbs over weight- not 15-40! This number is WACK!

The number of calories eaten by Americans may not be exactly 3790 per day, but it's probably pretty close. When I was heavier, I probably ate about 4500 calories per day easily. Of course, this number would be a lot more accurate if they had figured in food wastage and spoilage because I think a lot of people throw away produce because they buy it with good intentions and then it spoils and they throw it out.

Yep, I believe it. If you've every worked in sales, then you're taking people out to dinner all the time and a meal at a restaurant can easily be 2,000 cals. Then there's drinks before or afterwards. And what about all those chummy folks at work who love to bring in bake goods.

I believe it b/c I used to eat that way.