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According to the National Center for Health Statistics, an astounding 62 per- cent of adult Americans were overweight in 2000, up from 46 percent in 1980. Twenty-seven percent of adults were so far overweight that they were classified as obese (at least 30 pounds above their healthy weight)—twice the percentage classified as such in 1960. Alarmingly, an upward trend in obesity is also occurring for U.S. children.
Although multiple factors can account for weight gain, the basic cause is an excess of energy intake over energy expenditure. In general, Americans’ activity levels have not kept pace with their increase in calorie consumption.
Although multiple factors can account for weight gain, the basic cause is an excess of energy intake over energy expenditure. In general, Americans’ activity levels have not kept pace with their increase in calorie consumption.
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Meat has more of an impact on the environment than any other food we eat. That's because livestock require so much more food, water, land, and energy than plants to raise and transport. In order to make a quarter-pound hamburger, you would have to feed 6.7 pounds of grains and forage and 52.8 gallons for drinking water and irrigating feed crops. You would need 74.5 square feet for grazing and growing feed crops, causing 1,036 btus for feed production and transport (equivalent to power a typical microwave for 18 minutes).
And that's not even including the animal's waste or the methane emissions from its digestion.
And that's not even including the animal's waste or the methane emissions from its digestion.
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Even though there are fewer cows today than there were in the 1970s, scientist and farmers have found ways to get more meat out of every cow. US is still producing more beef now than in the 1970s. And if you look at the past century, meat consumption overall in the U.S. has risen dramatically.