Eating for Two: Not Just for Pregnancy Anymore!

New news from the US Census Bureau today. It sheds a bright light on Americans' habits, behaviors...and out waistlines.

Every year since 1878, the bureau publishes its Statistical Abstract of the United States. It is almost 1000 pages of facts and figures that gives a yearly snapshot of the "social, political and economic organization of the United States." They say numbers don't lie and these numbers dig deeply into the ways that Americans live. (They also say something about "lies, damn lies, and statistics" but that doesn't help my case. In fact I shouldn't even have written that. Strike it from the record!)

Here's a statistic that has nothing to do with anything:
"The average human has one breast and one testicle." ~Des McHale

Just thought I'd add that 'cuz it is true.

Back to the thought at hand.

This year's report contains this excellent morsel: In 2004, the average American consumed 3900 calories per day! This is up 22% from the 3200 average daily intake in the 1970's.

3900 calories per day. Is that a lot? You bet your wide ride it is! If the average American (the one with one breast and one testicle) was 5'9 and weighed 200 pounds, and he wanted simply to maintain his weight, he should take in no more than 2200 calories per day. If he were a she, she should take in no more than 1900 calories! We are eating about twice our caloric needs every day! Honestly, I'm stunned that we are not much fatter as a country.

It is clear that we are quickly getting to the point where the support under America will give way and we'll create the world's largest sinkhole. Canada is going to have to throw us a giant rope and pull like heck to get us all out!

Instead of being so concerned about global warming, the weak dollar, and the national deficit it is time to address global super-sizing, weak will-power, and creation of a calorie deficit! I hereby call for the first Kyoto Summit on Portion Control! The Fit Doc for president!! (Sorry, got a little carried away there.)

I'll leave you today with another quote about statistics. It has nothing to do with the above, but it made me smile.

"I always find that statistics are hard to swallow and impossible to digest. The only one I can ever remember is that if all the people who go to sleep in church were laid end to end they would be a lot more comfortable." ~Mrs. Robert A. Taft