The sweet tooth of Americans may not be so sweet for their waistlines. The average daily consumption of added sugar by Americans is 22 teaspoons, or 350 calories. That’s more than 8,000 tablespoons every year! This is twice the daily dosage suggested by the American Heart Association.
Due to the fact that more than 65 percent of Americans are on the verge of being classed as overweight or even obese, few of us have an extra 350 calories per day to commit to less nutrient-dense meals loaded with added sugar. Where does all this sugar originate? The top three sources of added sugar in the American diet are: Soft drinks, energy drinks, and sports drinks; Desserts made from grains, such as cakes and cookies; and Fruit drinks.
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How much sugar do humans consume annually?
As modern grocery consumers, we want to be nutrition-savvy and involved. From salt to sugar, a movement is underway to retake control over what we eat. However, there is a great deal of complex material to sort through. According to studies, 80% of buyers encounter contradictory nutritional information, and 59% have doubts about the decisions they make for their families.
- However, consumers are not confused regarding the necessity for a healthy transformation.
- The average American adult consumes 77 grams of sugar each day, which is more than three times the amount suggested for women.
- This amounts to around 60 pounds of additional sugar every year, or six 10-pound bowling balls.
The situation is considerably more dire for youngsters. Each day, American children ingest 81 grams of added sugar, which equates to approximately 65 pounds per year. Consider that youngsters consume more than 30 liters of added sugars from drinks alone.
4 grams of sugar equals one teaspoon Consider this method when reading nutrition labels to better visualize the amount of added sugar in a product. For instance, a 12-ounce can of cola has 39 grams of sugar, or about 10 teaspoons! The average American adult, adolescent, and kid eats around 270 calories per day, or 17 teaspoons of added sugar.
While we occasionally add sugar or sweeteners such as honey to foods and beverages, the majority of added sugar is found in processed and prepared foods. Sugar-sweetened drinks, sweets, and sweet snacks such as ice cream, pastries, and cookies are the primary sources of added sugars in the U.S. diet. Breakfast cereals and yogurt are big influences that are less evident.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 recommend that all Americans aged 2 and older consume fewer than 10% of their daily calories from added sugars. This corresponds to 200 calories or 50 grams of sugar per day on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet (about 12 teaspoons of sugar).
- The American Heart Association proposes a tougher added-sugar restriction of 100 calories per day (about 6 teaspoons or 24 grams) for most adult women and 150 calories per day (approximately 9 teaspoons or 36 grams of sugar) for most adult men.
- In addition, the AHA advises a lower daily limit of added sugars for children aged 2 to 18 of less than 6 teaspoons or 24 grams per day, and no more than 8 ounces of sugary drinks per week. Visit Healthy kids “sweet enough” without added sweets for additional information.
How much sugar do humans consume in their lifetime?
You state that you are attempting to limit your sugar intake. You’re not trying to reduce weight, although that would be wonderful, but you’re trying to improve your health. You’ve eliminated sweets from your diet, you’re reading labels, and you’re thinking your diet is now somewhat sugar-free, right? Given the amount of sugar Americans consume and the numerous locations it is concealed, eliminating sugar may not be as simple as it sounds.
So many processed and packaged foods include sugars under several labels that it requires extraordinary effort to remember them all. Each day, humans consume an enormous quantity of sugar, although this is a new development in human history. According to Healthline, all of this sugar comes from added sugars and not from natural sugars.
The relatively tiny amount of sugars in fruits and vegetables are balanced by essential elements such as water, fiber, and several minerals. Added sugars, such as sucrose and fructose, are not only calorie-free, but they also cause fat and diabetes by affecting the liver, insulin levels, and the body’s metabolic processes.
- In 1700, Americans consumed an average of four pounds of sugar per year, per LinkedIn.
- By 1800, this had increased to almost 22 pounds each year.
- One hundred years later, in 1900, the average annual weight gain was 90 pounds per person.
- According to a research published in 2000 by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, per capita sugar consumption reached a remarkable 158 pounds in 1999.
We consumed nearly our entire body weight in sugar. Fortunately, that was a historic high point, and sugar consumption has been on a gradual but steady fall ever since, as this Smithsonian data demonstrates: If our daily or yearly sugar consumption seems excessive, compound it by decades.
According to Forbes, the average American will consume 3,550 pounds of sugar in their lifetime, which is equivalent to around 1,767,900 Skittles or enough sugar to fill a commercial dumpster. While many nations consume an unhealthy quantity of sugar, the United States ranks first, with each citizen consuming more than a quarter pound (126.4 grams) of sugar daily.
And to demonstrate how locally localized that figure is, things change after you cross the Canadian border. Canada ranks tenth in sugar intake, with the average Canadian consuming 3 ounces (89.1 grams) of sugar per day, or 25% less than Americans. If you find it difficult to imagine how much sugar Americans consume, Rachael Ray has a disturbing video for you.
- If you believe that these numbers are about you and the doughnut you ate for morning, you have no need to feel guilty.
- It is not only about you or me or your neighbor.
- According to the Diabetes Council, 90% of Americans consume more sugar than the government’s healthy recommendation, which states that no more than 10% of calories should come from sugar.
Here are some other data provided by the Diabetes Council: From 1970 to 2010, the number of fast food establishments has increased. (Department of Agriculture of the United States) In 2014, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, more than two-thirds of American adults were overweight, and one in thirteen were obese.
- Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Obesity-related ailments are expected to account for $190,2 billion of the yearly healthcare expenditures in the United States.
- Institute of Medicine, National Academies of Sciences.
- Accelerating Obesity Prevention Progress: Reducing the Nation’s Weight”) The average medical expenditures of obese people are 42% more than those of normal-weight people, according to surveys.
It amounts to around $1,429 extra per person each year. (Centers for Disease Control) Although the average yearly consumption of soft drinks has declined to a record low (40,7 gallons per person), many consumers have boosted their intake of energy drinks, which now account for more than 10% of the American soft drink market.
- Harvard Public Health School) A 15-year longitudinal research published in JAMA Internal Medicine revealed that patients who consumed 25% or more of their total daily calorie intake from sugar had more than double the chance of dying from heart disease.
- JAMA Internal Medicine) It is recognized that sugar suppresses the immune system.100 grams of sugar (about the amount present in a medium soft drink) can inhibit the activity of white blood cells by 40% for at least 5 hours.
(Daily Mail) Brain cancer, pancreatic cancer (up to 53 percent higher risk), mouth cancer (10 to 15 percent increased risk), and prostate cancer (33 percent increased risk) are among the types of cancer associated with a high fructose consumption. (National Cancer Institute Journal) (Oral Oncology) (Cancer Research) Don’t despair! Sugar withdrawal is not impossible.
- It requires patience, thinking, ambition, and perseverance.
- The AARP offers an approach that entails reducing your consumption gradually and resisting your desires.
- And consuming a doughnut in the morning is not the end of the world.
- Everyone makes mistakes from time to time.
- Check out SweetLeaf® to ease the move from sugar to a healthier sweetener.
SweetLeaf products are non-glycemic, gluten-free, calorie-free, and contain no artificial sweeteners. Try SweetLeaf Stevia Sweetener or Organic SweetLeaf Stevia Sweetener in packets or shaker jars, Liquid Stevia Sweet Drops ® in 2-ounce or 50-milliliter bottles, or SweetLeaf Water Drops ® water enhancer in six delectable fruit mixes.
Whether you use SweetLeaf in meals, beverages, or recipes, the transition from sugar to SweetLeaf could not be simpler. Utilize our Stevia Conversion Chart or our interactive Stevia Conversion Calculator to determine the precise amount of SweetLeaf to use in lieu of sugar in all of your favorite recipes.
If you still want encouragement to give up sugar, watch this video from the CBS program 60 Minutes.
Leading fat-consuming nations in the world –
| Rank | Country | Average Individual Daily Fat Consumption (in gms) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belgium | 95.00 |
| 2 | Germany | 86.50 |
| 3 | Finland | 80.80 |
| 4 | Netherlands | 80.40 |
| 5 | Sweden | 80.30 |
| 6 | Saudi Arabia | 79.00 |
| 7 | Spain | 78.40 |
| 8 | Malaysia | 78.30 |
| 9 | France | 74.20 |
| 10 | Switzerland | 73.60 |
Home World Facts Leading Countries in the World for Fat Consumption
When did humans begin to use sugar?
Sugar cane was likely chewed for its sweet flavor in prehistoric times, but the earliest signs of sugar cane cultivation appeared around 8000 BCE. Follow the historical voyage of sugar around the globe and the technological advancements that allow us to enjoy sugar today.8,000 BCE – 600 CE0 – 600 CE640 – 900 CE900 – 1150 CE1390 – 1480 CE1480 – 1501 CE1540 – 1658 CE1710 – 1770 CE1801 – 1813 CE1838 – 1850 CE1852 – 1890 CE1937 – 1946 CE1951 – TODAY
U.S. Reduces Estimated Sugar Consumption (Published 2012) As a subscriber, you get ten gift articles to send to friends each month. Anyone can read your shared content. This article This article This article This page A supermarket in Los Angeles. The government estimates that each American consumes around 80 pounds of sugar year, not 100.
- Credit. Mario Anzuoni/Reuters The average American consumes 95 to 100 pounds of sugar annually, a statement that has been repeated so frequently that it has become regarded as accurate.
- According to health experts, consumption unquestionably contributed to the national obesity epidemic.
- However, in a move that has gone virtually unreported, the Agriculture Department, keeper of the statistics on America’s sweet addiction, has applied a new approach that trimmed 20 pounds off its estimate overnight, bringing the total to a precise 76.7 pounds.
The ruling calls into doubt the entire concept of per-capita consumption just as the disputes over sugar and sweeteners are reaching their climax. Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, remarked, “Boy, we’ve really got this nailed down now.” “However, upon closer inspection, it is built on a foundation of sand.” Jean C.
Buzby, the agricultural economist who led the department’s team responsible for the data that led to the revision in sugar consumption, acknowledged that it was not flawless, but stated that it was an improvement over what had previously been utilized. She referred to the remark on each page of the government’s statistics stating that they are “initial estimates” that are “designed to serve as a starting point for further investigation and discussion.” Two months ago, the transformation quietly occurred, although few are aware of it.
Recently, Dr. Jacobson discovered it while conducting research on sugar consumption. He disagrees with the new approach and believes it might be detrimental to the healthy eating movement. Suggestions that sugar consumption is declining might alleviate some of the pressure on corporations that produce sweet goods, for instance.
In e-mails received by the center via a Freedom of Information Act request, sugar industry trade organization representatives discussed the benefits of the lower estimate and how they could convince the U.S.D.A. to make a revision that would cut it even more. American Sugar Alliance’s head of economics and policy analysis, Jack Roney, stated in an e-mail dated March 30, 2011: “We believe it to be in our best interest to have the lowest feasible per capita sweetener consumption estimate.” In a phone conversation, Mr.
Roney expressed his delight at the availability of “more accurate” data on sugar consumption. “The popular perception of caloric sweeteners as a likely source or cause of rising obesity in this nation is enormous,” he added. “If people believe that consumption is far more than it actually is, we are deceiving the public unnecessarily.” Estimating sugar consumption is difficult because it relies on informed guesses about the frequency with which sweet meals are consumed versus discarded.
- Credit. New York Times’ Tony Cenicola Estimating sugar intake is difficult and loaded with the possibility of error.
- It is difficult to establish nationally representative estimates of consumer-level food loss,” Dr.
- Buzby stated in an email.
- It is dependent on educated guesses about how much of the various sweetener-laden meals that consumers buy are really consumed vs how much is discarded.” Dr.
Buzby stated that it had long been believed that the department’s estimations did not account for all of the loss that was occurring. The U.S. Department of Agriculture began revising what it termed “consumer-level food-loss estimates” five years ago, just as the sugar controversy was heating up.
It recruited RTI International, a non-profit consulting organization, to assist it in developing fresh loss estimates that were more grounded in facts. Mary K. Muth, director of food and nutrition policy research at RTI, stated that the new loss estimates for sugar and sweeteners were derived using data from the Nielsen Company’s Homescan surveys of consumer food purchases and interviews conducted for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Dr. Muth stated, “It’s an improvement over the previous method, but it’s gradual, and more work can be done.” In all, RTI’s modifications resulted in increased loss estimates for 84 foods, decreased loss estimates for 54 foods, and no change for a few foods.
- In several instances, the variation in loss estimates was substantial.
- Compared to the previous estimate of 20%, RTI calculated that 69 percent of fresh pumpkins are lost at the consumer level. Dr. Muth, Dr.
- Buzby, and others determined in a paper that more pumpkins are being utilized as decorations and then abandoned.
In contrast, RTI estimates that 15 percent of meat and poultry is wasted now due to the fact that so many of these items are offered boneless, cut lean, and kept under circumstances that extend their shelf life. Previously, the estimate was 40%. The company’s current projected loss for cane and beet sugar is 34%, compared to the previous estimate of 20%; however, Dr.
- Muth and Dr.
- Buzby stated that such comparisons are inappropriate due to changes in methodology.
- The revised estimate includes the quantity of sugar that consumers reported eating in the C.D.C.
- Survey, such as by stirring it into coffee or sprinkling it on oatmeal, as well as the amount of sugar that was used in food products and then discarded.
“The revised estimate still relies substantially on what appear to me to be mostly educated judgments,” Dr. Jacobson added. “Except for the 4% they receive” from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, “what do they know for sure?” The experts have difficulty recalling their own recommendations.
Park Wilde, assistant professor at Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, was on the 2008 RTI panel. Too much time had elapsed, he said in an e-mail, for him to recollect much of what took place. Dr. Wilde remarked, “I cannot recall ever evaluating or expressing a professional judgment on loss rates for sweetener groups.” Helen H.
Jensen, an economics professor at Iowa State University, reported that her recall of the panel’s talks was hazy. She stated that she could not recall if the panel had discussed sugar and sweetener consumption figures. She said in an email, “I do not recall (as the external group) separately addressing the sugar/sweetener estimates for this project.” “It is tough to monitor this industry.
Numerous sweets used in baked products and pastries, for instance, are rejected as old, dumped by the food service industry, etc. Drs. Muth and Buzby stated that they had anticipated more individuals would comment on the paper, which was accessible for feedback from January to April 2011. Dr. Muth stated, “We relied on archaeological procedures, which are rather difficult.” “I wish we had received more input, since it may have provided us more suggestions on how to make changes.” Although the paper was read over a thousand times, only two comments were sent, according to Dr.
Buzby. The first referred to a missed decimal point — “We repaired this,” Dr. Buzby responded — and the second came from “certain individuals in the sugar sector.” The industry wanted the loss estimates for high fructose corn syrup, glucose, and dextrose, which are used as sweeteners in processed foods, to be raised.
“If they concede to our logic,” Mr. Roney added, “consumption estimates for high fructose corn syrup and overall sweeteners may fall.” Since they are utilized similarly as ingredients, the sugar industry contended that the loss estimates for high fructose corn syrup, glucose, and dextrose should match those of sugar.
Dr. Buzby claimed that the U.S.D.A. concurred with the industry’s argument. According to Mr. Roney’s email, the result was an increase in the quantity of sweeteners eliminated, significantly lowering the amount consumed from 88 pounds to 76.7 pounds. Dr. Jacobson stated, “I agree that high fructose corn syrup and other such substances should not be compared to regular sugar.” “My concern is more basic — that they are simply selecting figures, 20%, 17%, and 34%, and giving them authority that they don’t actually have”: U.S. 
How much sugar was consumed by the average American 100 years ago?
The evolution of sugar intake – Just over a century ago, the United Kingdom was the center of the sugar empire, with over 100 small-scale refineries. During the 1920s, 20 beet factories were constructed, but today there is only one remaining in London.
- Comite Sucre suggests, based on Czarnikow consumption data, that the Victorian period was when sugar consumption skyrocketed, with per capita sugar consumption reaching 35kg.
- During World Wars I and II, sugar consumption decreased drastically owing to severe rationing, followed by a brief increase as people rejoiced being able to consume sugar once again.
Despite the assumption that “when obesity per capita grows, sugar consumption per capita really decreases,” other sources indicate otherwise. Natural Society did study on the average intake of sugar from 1700 to the present day and discovered the following: In 1700, the typical individual consumed roughly 4.9 grams of sugar per day; In the current day, the average consumption of sugar is approximately 25 grams per day; (1.81 kg per year).
In 1800, the average daily sugar consumption per person was roughly 22.4 grams (10.2 kg per year). In 1900, the average daily sugar consumption per person was roughly 112 grams (40.8 kg per year). In 2009, fifty percent of Americans ingested around 227 grams of sugar per day, or 81.6 kg annually. Figure depicting average sugar consumption by year These numbers, which are supported by other research, imply that sugar consumption has increased dramatically over the previous few centuries.
Now, the typical individual consumes 70 grams of fructose per day, which is 300 percent higher than the recommended daily allowance. According to this infographic from Mind Body Green, the average American eats 1,610 kg of sugar over the course of their lifetime.
- That is over 2 tons! These numbers are comparable for British citizens.
- Lisa Kilgour, a dietitian, writes in an essay for Collective Evolution that the current yearning for sugar is a symptom of a metabolic disorder “craving is not always reliable.
- Sugar cravings are typically caused by an imbalance in gut flora or a blood sugar drop.
Rebalance your gut bacteria, and your sugar cravings will decrease significantly.” In addition to addressing the root of sugar cravings, both consumers and producers must recognize the hazards of sugar, ranging from obesity to diabetes, and promote healthier and more sustainable alternatives in all stores and eateries.