Americans Get a C-D Average on Nutrition Report Card

If your child brought home this report card, you would certainly make some changes to ensure he snapped his grades back in line.

While it’s not all that surprising, The Center for Science in the Public Interest recently concluded in its Nutrition Action Healthletter that we “are eating too much of everything, and it’s not just how much, but what we eat, that needs work.” The average American consumes about 2,500 calories per day, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates. That’s up from about 2,000 calories a day in the 1970s, says the report. We are eating more cheese than ever, with no sign of slowing.

Based on available data, here’s how the CSPI graded the American diet for consumption of the following food and beverage categories:

“It’s clear that Americans aren’t now following, nor have they ever followed, the advice dished out by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and other health authorities,” said CSPI nutrition director Bonnie Liebman, author of the Nutrition Action article. “Americans are eating the diet recommended by food manufacturers and restaurants’ marketing departments, which encourage overconsumption of everything except for fruits and vegetables.”

Consider using this report card to identify common trouble areas with clients and to initiate a discussion on incremental behavior change.