Ironically, nutrition statistics and facts on healthy food and beverage intake of today show the exact opposite of progress. More and more people are turning from consuming natural food sources to gorging on processed foods, adding an unhealthy amount of excess sugar and salt to their daily diets. As a result, over two-thirds of the adult population in the US, and about one-third of children and youngsters, are overweight or obese. These physical conditions can drastically affect your long-term health and can pose an even greater risk if further complications arise. So, if we really are what we eat, then we’re neither good nor healthy.
There are plenty of statistics about nutrition that coincide with the previous statement; the ones presented down below only giving a general picture of how things are thus far. After all, acknowledging that there is, in fact, a problem is the first step towards solving it, and this one is of grave importance to us all.
Nutrition Statistics and Facts 2021 (Editor’s Pick)
- 9% of high school students meet daily fruit intake recommendations.
- Only 2% of high school students adhere to the suggested daily vegetable intake.
- There are just 2.7 farmers’ markets available per 100,000 US citizens.
- Since 1970, child obesity has quadrupled, and adolescent obesity — tripled.
- Annually, 678,000 US deaths are attributed to nutrition-related diseases.
- As little as 10 minutes of physical activity a day can make a difference in people’s health.
- Nutrition-related diseases are costing the country nearly $800 billion annually.
- 30% of US residents are leading completely sedentary lifestyles.
Healthy Eating Statistics in the US
1. Only 12.2% of adults in the USA meet the daily fruit intake recommendations.
The recommended amount of daily intake of fruits for an average adult living in the US is somewhere between one and a half cup and two whole ones. This is part of the latest government-supported dietary plan — the 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The situation is even more alarming in the case of high-school students, as only 9% meet the provided recommendations, according to nutrition statistics.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
2. Less than 10% of US adults adopt and stick to the recommended vegetable guidelines. To be more specific, only 9.3% of all adults maintain a daily intake of 2–3 cups of vegetables, as prescribed in the latest guidelines. With high school students, the percentage of the population that meets the suggested dose is just 2%.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
3. Added sugars are a major part of daily unhealthy eating habits, statistics show.
Americans need to regulate their daily intake of added sugars — raw sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, honey, lactose, and more. The recommended dose is no more than 10% of the daily intake of calories. However, stats show that male adults consume 13% of their total daily calories from added sugars (335 calories on average); meanwhile, women consume (on average) 239 calories of these with the same rate as men. Moreover, the percentage is higher for children aged 2–19; up to 16% of their total daily calories. For boys, this averages around 362 calories, whereas for girls it’s more around 282 calories.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
4. American nutrition statistics show about 117 million adults suffering from one or more chronic diseases due to improper nutrition and lack of exercise.
The US population is suffering from diseases such as type 2 diabetes, different types of cancers, and various heart conditions. This is mostly the result of poor eating habits and a lack of physical activity.
Source: Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
5. 23 million Americans, and counting, live in “food deserts.”
Over 23 million Americans, including 6.5 million children, live in so-called food deserts; meaning, there is no accessible supermarket in close proximity to their place of residence.
Source: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
6. Only 2.7 farmers’ markets are available per 100,000 US citizens, significantly affecting statistics on healthy food availability.
Healthy food — fruits and vegetables are largely inaccessible for some families and residents of the less developed, rural areas of the US. A farmers’ market is a neat way of bringing locally grown produce closer to the general public due to more affordable pricing, longer operating hours, and higher quality of fruits and vegetables. Speaking of which, federal benefits are also available for such services — WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program vouchers and Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program coupons being some of them.
Source: United States Department of Agriculture
7. 90% of Americans are consuming a high amount of sodium.
The percentage of Americans consuming a big amount of sodium has alarmingly increased. Around 90% of Americans are taking in a higher amount of sodium than the recommended daily requirement. Excessive sodium is one of the major causes of stroke, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension.
8. Children are consuming around 3,300 mg of sodium every day, much higher than the recommended amount.
The child nutrition statistics indicate that children consume a daily average of about 3,300 mg of sodium. The recommended daily sodium intake for children is less than 2,300 mg.
9. College students are taking an alarming 3,904 mg of sodium daily.
According to college students’ nutrition statistics, sodium consumption is much higher than the recommended daily intake. On average, college students are consuming around 3,904 mg of sodium every day.
10. Decreasing the amount of sodium consumed by Americans can save billions in medical expenses.
According to the American nutrition statistics, if the daily sodium intake is reduced by 1,200mg, around $20 billion can be saved in medical costs.
11. Obesity is increasing at an alarming rate among students in New York.
The analysis of college students’ fitness and nutrition statistics indicates that due to less physical activity and poor eating habits, 24.3% of students in NYC are overweight, and 6% among them are obese.
12. The college students’ eating habits are unhealthy as most of them prefer junk food instead of healthy food.
Overall, Americans are consuming more processed and junk foods and a low amount of recommended dairy products, whole-grains, fruits, vegetables, and oils.
13. The majority of Americans are not consuming the required daily amount of vegetables and fruits.
According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 63% of males and 59% of females consume less than one serving of fruits and vegetables a day.
College students consume fast food around one to three times a week according to the nutrition statistics. NHANES data highlights that the obesity rate would continue to increase among children if child nutrition guidelines are not followed.
14. About 23 million Americans lack easy access to healthy foods.
A report has shown that 23 million people (about 6.5 million children) live near areas more than a mile away from supermarkets. That indicates that the college students’ eating habits might be poor due to limited access to healthy food or limited transportation access.
Healthy Eating Statistics Globally
15. Micronutrient malnutrition, and the lack of data on the matter, is one key point of interest for achieving better global nutrition habits.
The latest Global Nutrition Report shows that there is a lack of data concerning micronutrient deficiencies. This situation has to improve if we wish to repair the existing high burden of malnutrition, in global terms.
Source: World Health Organization
16. A large percentage of women and children around the globe are in dire need of micronutrient supplements; according to nutrition statistics presented in the following table.
| Coverage/ Practice Indicator | Number of Countries with Data | Minimum % | Maximum % | Mean % | Median % for Countries with Data |
| Children 0–59 months who received zinc treatment | 46 | 0.1 | 50.2 | 8.6 | 2.8 |
| Children 6–59 months who received two doses of vitamin A supplements | 58 | 4.5 | 86.4 | 57.0 | 60.9 |
| Children 6–59 months who received iron supplements in past 7 days | 56 | 1.3 | 45.4 | 14.6 | 11.6 |
| Women who have given birth in the past 5 years, and received folic acid iron supplements during last pregnancy | 62 | 22.6 | 96.6 | 74.6 | 81.0 |
| Household consumption of iodized salt | 52 | 18.0 | 99.8 | 82.7 | 90.9 |
According to the above-mentioned nutrition statistics, iron deficiency is one of the most serious micronutrient malnutrition conditions; especially since it is often wrongly attributed to anemia instead of other deficiencies, causing even more harm in the process. What is more, iodine deficiency is yet another such issue that requires additional public attention and further investigation to combat the growing issue of public health concerning women and children.
Source: Global Nutrition Report
17. Malnutrition in times of crisis and instability, as well as alarming healthy diet statistics for female adolescents and adults, are two other key points.
The report suggests a need for platforms, strategies, and other solutions to prevent cases of overlapping malnutrition among populations in destabilized regions. What is more, they call for campaigns for raising awareness among young girls and women regarding the benefits of proper nutrition, as well as the health risks involved in its absence.
Source: Global Nutrition Report
Unhealthy Eating Habits — Statistics & Projections
18. Since 1970, in the US, obesity in children has quadrupled, in adolescents — tripled, and among adults — doubled.
The latest calculations show that twice as many children aged 2–5 have become obese in the allotted timeframe. From a low 4% rate of obesity among children, aged 6–11, the percentage has risen up to 20%, whereas the number of obese adolescents, aged 12–19, has risen from 6% to 18%. Ultimately, the number of obese adults has effectively doubled, jumping from 15% to a staggering 34%.
Source: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
19. Nutrition statistics show that approximately 678,000 annual deaths in the US can be attributed to malnutrition and obesity-related diseases.
The number of deaths — coupled with the fact that almost half of the population suffers from diseases caused by heart-, cancer-, and diabetes-related issues — shows the unhealthy eating practices of US citizens.
Source: Center for Science in the Public Interest
20. In the US in 2017 18.66% of all deaths are attributed to heart disease, whereas another 6.03% and 6.67% are caused by strokes and lung cancer, respectively.
Unhealthy eating and lifestyle habits are the leading cause of death in the US, as the latest unhealthy eating statistics show. Yet, the current data also shows some promise with a steady decline in the number of cases — in respect to last year’s figures — with a −1.39% annual change in heart failure, −0.28% in strokes, and a −0.095% decrease in terminal lung cancer cases.
Source: Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation
21. Direct + indirect costs of malnutrition and inactivity-related diseases.
| Disease | Cost |
| Diabetes | $245 Billion |
| Cancer | $216.6 Billion |
| Coronary heart disease | $204.4 Billion |
| Obesity | $190 Billion |
| High blood pressure | $46.4 Billion |
| Stroke | $36.5 Billion |
| Osteoporosis | $19 Billion |
Source: Center for Science in the Public Interest
22. US healthy food statistics show food-secure households going up since last year.
Since the last report, the number of food-secure households in the US has risen from 88.2% to 88.9%. This still leaves 11.1% of food-insecure households having either low or very low food security. In other words, these households don’t have the means to access proper food quality and quantity for a healthy lifestyle.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture — Economic Research Service
23. Healthy lifestyle statistics and habits may not coincide with environmentally friendly choices, study shows.
There has been a lot of talk regarding the adoption of a more eco-friendly and sustainable diet by people everywhere. With the topic of climate change trending now more than ever, the solution to sustainable eating is seen predominantly in plant-based foods. However, this type of diet offers little to no benefits for either stopping obesity or other malnutrition-caused chronic diseases. In fact, this may help induce “adverse health effects” altogether.
Source: American Society for Nutrition — Advances in Nutrition
Healthy Lifestyle Statistics — Food & Exercise
24. 25% of male adults meet the Physical Activity Guidelines; 17% in the case of women in the US.
The Physical Activity Guidelines include both aerobic and muscle-strengthening recommendations. However, only a small percentage of the overall US population adheres to these guidelines. Still, the situation shows slight improvement since the previous measures were taken back in 2008 — an increase of 3% among male participants, as well as a 2% increase in the female camp.
Source: Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
25. Healthy eating benefits statistics show that proper nutrition, and as little as 10 minutes of physical activity, can produce positive results.
There is no longer a valid excuse for lacking the time to exercise (on a daily basis) — current data shows that even short, 10-minute increments of physical activity can bring long-term health benefits.
Source: Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
26. 30% of US residents report doing absolutely no physical activity; leisurely or intentionally.
This is somewhat generalized — data jumps will inevitably appear across different socio-economic groups, but the overall impression remains. One-third of the nation is not engaging in any kind of exercise at all, causing even more damage to their life expectancy when paired with poor eating habits.
Source: Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
27. Vermont residents are topping the charts in healthy living statistics with the highest percentage of regular exercise.
The state of Vermont is on the very top of the list of states whose residents have reported engaging in regular exercise for 30 or more minutes, three or more days a week. The latest figures show 65.3% of Vermont residents, followed by 62.2% of Hawaiians, and 60.1% of Montana residents leading the way in terms of physical activity in the states.
Source: Gallup
28. Vermont and Montana are also topping nutrition statistics with the highest produce consumption rates on a state level.
Up to 67.8% of Vermont residents reported consuming produce at least 4 days a week, with Montana falling shortly behind with less than a 5% difference (63.0%). Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Missouri residents reported the lowest produce consumption throughout the week — with only 52.3% of Oklahoma residents eating five vegetable servings, for a minimum of four days a week.
Source: Gallup
A very small percentage of Americans are physically active.
5% of American adults spend the recommended 30 minutes exercising or doing other physical activity every day. Only one in three children is physically active.
29. The American nutrition statistics are alarming as the majority exceed the recommended daily intake of food.
The average American diet significantly exceeds the recommended amount of added sugars, solid fats, saturated fats, and sodium.
30. There is a dire need to spread awareness regarding the importance of nutrition and exercise among students to enhance their overall health.
Around one-third of students prefer playing computer games and video games to playing outside. On average, high school students spend three hours and more playing such games.
31. About 149 million children are stunted due to malnutrition.
Above are the children’s nutrition statistics of individuals under 5 years of age. Moreover, 40.1 million children are overweight, and more than 47 million children under the age of 5 are wasted. Meanwhile, a staggering 677.6 million adults are obese.
32. The illness linked to obesity has been estimated to cost about $190.2 billion in healthcare.
These obesity-related diseases include disability, chronic diseases, and even fatalities. This shows a grave need to educate the masses about the benefits of healthy eating, statistics have revealed that the overall expense of obesity-related health expenses is rapidly increasing.
33. The share and size of the dietary supplements market globally is estimated to reach more than $306 billion by 2026.
Many people have started incorporating supplements in their nutrition and exercise plan. In 2019, the market reached $167.8 billion and is estimated to grow 9% in the next five years.
Conclusion
Proper food and beverage intake is crucial for maintaining a healthy and working organism. Proof of this can be found all throughout the history of human civilization, as well as the supporting data we have today. Health risks, physical appearance, and micronutrient intake are only a small piece of a much larger puzzle, as nutrition statistics show. Seeing how it can potentially have devastating effects on our climate (impacting the state of the entire planet), nutrition is bound to be a hot topic for years to come.
