The Overflowing American Dinner Plate

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wosnes
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The Overflowing American Dinner Plate

Post by wosnes » Sun Aug 03, 2008 9:01 pm

"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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reinhard
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Post by reinhard » Mon Aug 04, 2008 1:49 pm

Great graphic, VERY misleading title.

According to the 2003 analysis of this exact data series, calories from dinner have actually SIGNIFICANTLY DECLINED since the 1970s (-59% for men, -74% for women). It's snacks that are the problem (+241% for men, +160% for women) -- dinner plates have been getting SMALLER. Of the total calorie increase 1977-1996, 90% comes from snacks for men and 112% for women (calories from meals have actually gone down).

Granted, the numbers they are quoting are more recent, but I'd be amazed, given the increasing pro-snack fever of recent years, if this ratio had significantly changed -- unless to become more extreme.

Reinhard

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Over43
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Post by Over43 » Tue Aug 12, 2008 5:53 pm

Maybe this is misleading. How many of us (well most of us here probably are) are eating meals at home anymore?

Red meat is down, and yet heart conditions are on the rise. (I've never been a chicken fan either...) Wasn't red meat the culptrit as we were told in the 1980's when we wore spandex (I never wore spandex. But I did listen to Duran Duran.), used Nautilus machines (which I actually miss), and started consuming uber amounts of "pasta" because it had health benefits. I'm not bagging on noodles (I love them!), but we'll never get it right as long as the "experts" keep telling us what to do.

In Total Nutrition there was a quote: There is no such thing as a bad food, just too much of certain foods. (paraphrase)

Plus, as we know, we all (in a general way) snack way too much, and consume way to much soda products. Corn syrup being a real problem.

And sorry, I don't think grocer shelf fruit juices are the same as eating fruits.

O43
Bacon is the gateway meat. - Anthony Bourdain
You pale in comparison to Fox Mulder. - The Smoking Man

I made myself be hungry, then I would get hungrier. - Frank Zane Mr. Olympia '77, '78, '79

Betty
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Post by Betty » Wed Aug 13, 2008 12:12 pm

I read this article too. I think they were tallying up all the food eaten per person per day, not necessarily for dinner.

What I found misleading, though, was the idea of looking at how many pounds a person eats in a day. Two big apples is almost a pound, but a pound of fritos is a totally different story.

But the article does document some intersting things about what we used to eat and what we eat now.

Betty
Be your own best friend and advocate. Be gentle and kind to yourself. Your weight is not the problem.

Before: 140
During: 140 (again!)

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