High-level Food Consumption in the United States

Excerpt from the report: The objective of this study is to define an attainable high-level food consumption for the United States and to estimate the quantities of food involved. The definition of high-level food consumption developed here takes into account two principal considerations: (1) What foods people need nutritionally to sustain good health and (2) what foods people would like to consume as indicated by consumption in the higher income brackets. In brief, the measure of high-level food consumption for each individual is simply the higher rate of consumption obtained in the comparison between the estimated actual consumption and the minimum nutritional requirement. The implications of achieving the high level of food consumption are then analyzed: (1) To determine the effect on American dietaries, (2) to ascertain the income effects to the national economy and to agriculture. (3) to obtain a rough measure of the production adjustments involved. Finally, ways and means of achieving the high level of food consumption are reviewed and discussed.