American calorie consumption has gone down drastically following strict government monitoring on American diet. Starting in the 1970s, calorie consumption went on an uphill climb, which peaked in 2003, until it dropped 25 percent since then.
The decline of calorie consumption is the main reason why the rate of obesity has also stopped, particularly among adults and school-aged children, while there is also a decline in the rate of obesity among young children that serves as a clear evidence that the government efforts to curb calorie consumption is making a difference.
People have eventually realized that there is danger in unhealthy eating and in excessive drinking. The campaign to curb obesity in the U.S. began in the 1990s, after one scientific research after another prove the ill-benefits of obesity.
While the data provides hope that the fight against obesity is making advance gains, albeit slow, still, obesity remains an epidemic affecting around a third of American adults. Obesity places individuals at higher risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other illnesses. Likewise, a recent study underscored that Americans still eat less amount of fruits and vegetables than what is suggested and still more junk food.
With the improvement of eating habits, though, the seemingly unstoppable decline in healthy eating may soon change its course.
"I think people are hearing the message and diet is slowing improving," Dr Dariush Mozaffarian, head of nutrition science at Tufts University, said in an interview.
Likewise, promoting healthy eating has been the hallmark of the Obama administration. In fact, First Lady Michelle Obama has been an outspoken champion of healthy eating. The passage of the 2010 Affordable Care Act compelled chain restaurants to inform their customers of the calorie content of their meals.
Likewise, several cities across the country have waged their war against obesity. In Philadelphia, for example, the poor are subsidized on their purchase of fresh produce. New York, meanwhile, regulated the kind of foods served in day care centers. Just last year, Berkeley, California, became the first U.S. city to impose tax sugar-sweetened beverages.
