Researchers at the University of Oxford investigated how many calories residents consumed on average per day, and came up with a best of 184 calories. Which population eats the most calories per day? And which one at least?
When you think of a lot of food, you almost automatically think of the US and the large portions of junk food they love to eat there. The stereotype that an Oxford study will have to be slightly modified from now on, because almost all other countries are also not averse to a portion of french fries with plenty of mayonnaise. Not America, but a small country in the Middle East that would consume the most calories per day on average.
Bahrain comes first with an average consumption of 4,012 calories per day. It is a small island nation consisting of 33 islands, located off the coast of Saudi Arabia. As many as four in ten adults in Bahrain are obese, according to research at the University of Oxford (in collaboration with the Our World in Data team), which researchers attribute to the country’s sedentary lifestyles and overconsumption of junk food. .
Although the United States is not in first place, it is in second place with an average of 3,868 calories per day. To picture this amount of food: one Big Mac contains 525 calories (According to the Belgian website, ed.). Therefore, the Arab population eats an average of 7.6 per day and the American population 7.3 per day.
Of the 184 countries surveyed, 173 eat more than 2,000 calories per day.
More than 2,000 calories over the recommended amount
Of the 184 countries the study examined, at least 173 eat more than 2,000 calories per day. Ours comes in fourth with an average of 3,824 calories a day, about 1,800 more than recommended, which is good to keep eating a 6.6 Big Mac.
Only our northern neighbors end up in 20th place with 3,460 calories per day. The United Kingdom comes in at just 26th with an average consumption of 3,422 calories, and Australia comes in at 32nd with 3,399 calories.
It’s amazing: Even at 32nd place, the average is still well above the recommended amount by the World Health Organization (WHO). According to the World Health Organization, most people need an average daily requirement of 2,500 (for men) and 2,000 (for women) calories per day. Please note: this amount varies depending on personal factors such as age, height, weight, and how much exercise you have. Those who move more and have a physical job, for example, will need more calories than someone who barely moves and sits mainly during the day at work.
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All data from the study was collected via the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), where they looked at the average amount of food purchased per household in each country. This doesn’t explicitly say how many calories each family actually ate, because researchers don’t know exactly how much food ended up in the trash, for example.
However, aside from that side note, an increased calorie intake is essential, which is noticeable all over the world. Researchers at Oxford University partly attribute this increase in the average number of calories per day to the fact that fast food, processed foods and takeaway meals are more present around the world and are also available almost 24 hours a day. Everywhere today. Available. And while these types of meals contain more calories, they certainly don’t always contain more nutrients.
The British newspaper “Daily Mail” wrote in response to the study: “This overconsumption could also be due to a lack of sleep, a 24/7 lifestyle where everyone is ‘on’ as much as possible and more stress in 2023.”
Which countries consume the least number of calories?
Finally, the countries that appear at the bottom of the top are the Central African Republic with 1,641 calories per day, followed by Burundi with 1,696, Madagascar with 1,770, Zimbabwe with 1,853, and Yemen with 1,957 calories per day. All of these countries are experiencing major geopolitical conflicts, as a result of which food is not always provided as it should be.
