Food

Percentage of households in America that are “food insecure”:

14%

Percentage of food in the country that goes to waste:

50%

Amount the average American household spends on food each week per person:

$43.75

Amount companies spend advertising food, beverages, and candy in one year:

$7,459,000,000

Percentage of Americans who grow a vegetable garden:

38%

Percentage of food and beverage sales that are organic:

less than 3%

Percentage of 12-17 year olds who say they eat dinner with their families at least 5 times a week:

58%

Percentage of Americans who regularly watch TV while eating dinner:

66%

Average number of miles produce travels before it is sold:

1,500

Number of calories the average American eats per day:

3,774

Number of calories the average Guatemalen eats per day:

2,219

Adult obesity rate in 2008:

34%

Adult obesity rate in 1971:

14.5%

Percentage of school cafeterias that cook “less than half” of their food from scratch:

80%

Percentage of school cafeterias that serve restaurant-branded fast food:

33%
Click on hyperlinks to see sources for statistics. All other statistics from the 2009 World Almanac and Hungry Planet by Peter Menzel and Faith D’Aluisio

This is part of a New Urban Habitat series: Snapshots of America:

1. A Snapshot of Car-Usage in America
2. A Snapshot of Education in America.
3. A Snapshot of Waste in America.
   

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