((Click on the graphic to expand for a better view))
I think it is important to establish in this initial post that there IS an undeniable problem in America and it deals with health. The current generation of youth in the United States is predicted to live nearly a decade shorter compared to their parents. They are the first generation in American history to have a shorter life-span expectancy than the previous generation... ever. The average American consumes 90% processed foods daily and only 1-3 fruits or vegetables. These eating habits have resulted in wide-spread health-related illness. 10% of Americans have diabetes and that statistic is rapidly increasing with our youth. Between 1970 & 1994, the caloric intake of Americans increased by 200 calories, and fat consumption doubled (from 19% of a diet in 1977 to 38% in 1995). It is time for Americans to make a change.
This graphic was not created so much to help Americans understand what is going wrong behind the scenes (I am leaving that to later illustrations), but to spark interest. I want all Americans to learn the facts, see the statistics & understand the cost our eating habits incur upon us. This is meant to be a playful introduction to a serious problem.
To me, the statistics are astounding.
But, I am interested in hearing others opinions.
Does any of this surprise you?
Would you change your eating habits?
Do you want to know more?
Do you even care? Seriously, I want to know!
Also, a printable version of this poster will be available shortly.
It is an 18x24" poster. Enjoy!
Liz
ReplyDeleteI also heard a report about this recently and I was horrified, not for myself but more for my children who would of course be included in the shocking statistic. Thank you for exploring this topic further and for bringing it to the attention of the public who really do need to be more informed. Personally I have become more aware of health and how it is directly affected by what we put into our mouths, exercise is only 20% of the solution, 80% is what we eat!
In the past few months I feel like I have heard of 20 or more people begin a struggle with health issues. Whether it is cancer, diabetes, or bad knees I agree that the food we are eating is directly related to these problems. I don't have kids yet but that statistic scares the crap out of me.
ReplyDeleteI am trying to eat healthier and less but, like any habit it is not easy to switch cold turkey. I'm interested to see more graphics that will hopefully stick in my mind everytime I grab a box of processed mac'n'cheese or cheap frozen pizza.
Liz, great graphics and great initiative.
ReplyDeleteI would like to learn more about this issue. I find it interesting to know the amount of calories consumed a day; however, I would also like to know what are the dietary patterns in one day. For instance, what is the average breakfast, lunch and dinner of the average american [and maybe how much is consumed in between meals]. In other words, how these calories are being distributed during the day. As a Brazilian, I always had big breakfasts, moderate lunches and small dinners. While living in the US, I noticed that there was a shift on my schedule to small breakfast, moderate lunches and big dinners. Needless to say, I've gained a lot of weight. Therefore I leave a suggestion for you to explore the eating patterns in one day, and how this calories are distributed along the 24 hs period.
Once again, I really admire your initiative on exploring this issue using clear and nice graphics. You communicate the message effectively and in a fun way. Great way to educate people at a glance:)
Keep on using design for the good! The world needs more of that!
Hey, this is such an interesting project! But, this is not a concern just for the U.S., other countries are facing this problem too. I wonder if it's just due to globalization? Here's an interesting link about this topic in Japan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ok3ykR2GHCc
ReplyDeleteYou know, it's crazy how much the average American eats in a day, but I wonder how much we throw away in a day. Compare that number to how much we give in aid, I'm betting there's a large difference.
Great job, can't wait to learn more. Also, you should check out this teacher's blog: fedupwithschoollunch.blogspot.com. I hear she has guest bloggers on it, you should look into it.
Keep up the amazing info!!
Hi Liz, Thank you for bringing this to our attention in way that is easy (yet difficult) to digest. It's as if American Agriculture is the new Tobacco. They say the measure of a rebellion is determined by the worthiness of the problem. You have certainly taken on a worthy foe....and we appreciate your becoming the early adopter for radical change in America. May God bless your efforts and may you be surrounded by an Army of individual and corporate supporters. We volunteer to help in anyway that we can...whether it be licking envelopes or standing in front of a tractor or combine in boycott. You go girl! -John and Claire
ReplyDeleteHey Liz! Great post.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you. After reading In Defense of Food I was appalled by the lack of real food Americans eat. What we are consuming can in no way, shape, or form be considered food; rather, it is processed materials that do nothing but hinder our country with diabetes, heart disease, and other preventable illnesses. You should check out this book if you haven't all ready! Keep up the good work! I admire you so so sooo much for your activism through art!
What a great site! More definitely needs to be done in this area. The statistics you've provided ring true across the Western world - here in Australia we are looking at a similar crisis, with 1 in 2 people obese, a crisis which needs to be averted. Information like this is easily accessible and creates a talking point. It will surely help to educate, and alert the masses to this crisis.
ReplyDeleteLiz,
ReplyDeleteIt is easy to forget about "little" snacks through the day, but add up later in caloric intake. I never thought about how much I snack on unhealthy food until the food was not in front of me! I think schools need to take action in the fight against obesity and get rid of vending machines!!! Or if we come up with healthy options for schools we might be able to prevent the next generation from an unhealthy lifestyle.
Keep up the great graphics :]
Hello Liz,
ReplyDeleteI think you will want to add to your summer reading list a great book by one of my favorite novelists: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. She is a wonderful writer and her husband and college age daughter contribute to journaling about their year-long commitment to eating only locally produced foods. It is especially good in explaining the important difference between "organic" and "locally produced" and the economics for individual consumers so that we can make better choices every day when we go to the grocery store.
Thanks to your dad for telling me about your site. Now that the health care (health insurance) reform bill has passed, perhaps with your contributions, the next campaign could be reform of our agricultural policy to improve our public and environmental health.
Best wishes!
Hey Liz,
ReplyDeleteAwesome graphics! Very nice to look at, and they send an important message. Just wondering, with "Between 1970 & 1994, the caloric intake of Americans increased by 200 calories" is that the average intake increased by 200 calories per day? And will you have references for this?
Great information. Can't wait to read more about what you discover on the health impacts and the economic and environmental impacts of American agriculture! Keep it up!
Wow! Great work Liz. You inspire me. It truly is a wake-up call. There are so many that would rather not hear the reality of what is going on around us (what we are doing to destroy our own existence.) I am, unfortunately, among the guilty. Liz, you are making a difference by putting the facts in front of us. You are the voice we need to hear. You are inspiring me to make changes.
ReplyDeleteContinue your work...it is critical.
Let me know how I can help.
This is very interesting and eye opening! I like to think of myself as a healthy eater, but this changed my mind. I do not realize how much processed food I eat in a day. It is a shame to think that this generation is the first one to not have a longer life expectancy! I am excited to see more of your work!
ReplyDeleteWow I've never really dove into the stats of obesity in America. Liz, this is a really fascinating subject and I'm excited to see the future posts.
ReplyDeleteI'm curious how you'll continue to synthesize all this information.
As a question though, where is the bulk of your research coming from?
hey
ReplyDeletegood stuff Liz! I think this is a problem that not only needs revealing and more work done on it, but is also quite surprising which I think would catch a lot of people off guard. I'm sending this blog to my friends.....very interesting stuff keep it up!
((This is a long response, and I am sorry I did not get to respond to everyone! If I have neglected to answer your question, please feel free to e-mail me or re-post! Thanks!))
ReplyDeleteFirst off, thank you to everyone who is reading these posts and commenting! It means so much to me! I am really enjoying the feedback and the critiques, I am going to do my best to address everyone and incorporate everyone’s brilliant comments into my designs. Unfortunately do my schedule right now, I only have time to design and post one new graphic each week, but hopefully as time goes on there will be quite a collection here!
Something else to keep your eyes out for is that I am going to be compiling a list of websites and books I used for my research in an easy to access panel. (For those interested, all my sources are included in the thesis book, available as a download at the top right of this page).
Okay, so I would like to address some of the point posted specifically!
@leticia: Thank you so much for your insightful comment. It is really interesting to hear how your eating habits have changed since moving the US, and is something I really relate to, having spent so much time outside of the US myself. I think it would be incredibly interesting to see when the majority of calories are consumed throughout the day (and also how that might change internationally!) I will most definitely pursue this! Thanks!
@stephinjapan: That video is AWESOME! I totally agree that this is not just an American problem, but a global problem. It looks like the video was sponsored by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in Japan, but I am curious to know if you know where this video was broadcasted and used for? I think it would be excellent to get a shorted video of something like this running during the superbowl, right after a Doritos commercial! ;o)
@Megan Casey: Girlfriend, I devour anything Michael Pollan… he is brilliant!!
@Jasmin: Wow Australia! I am familiar with some of the statistics from down under, it seems that the Aussies are facing just as much (if not more) of a health crisis as the Americans. Thanks for taking a look! Hopefully as this continues I will be able to incorporate more internationally oriented statistics!
@Julia: Thank you for your comment (I will have to thank my dad for passing the link around!) I will most definitely check out the Kingsolver book, it sounds fascinating. The research that I have been doing on this topic has completely revolutionized the way I look at food, which is good (and yet, annoying). I love the idea of a campaign to improve the American Agriculture system, as well as our habits! Our healths’ truly are impacted by what we eat, and we pay for it in medical bills! Thanks so much again for your comments!
@Dragana: Yes, the statistic about 1970- 1994 does refer to the average caloric intake. All my references and sources are listed throughout the book, but I will begin incorporating them into my posts online. Also, I am in the process of creating a side panel that will have all my sources, references, additional reading, and recommended literature listed on the site. I’d love to take recommendations for this if anyone has any!