Each American Consumes 77 Pounds Of Sugar Annually

Americans may be becoming more health-conscious, but recent data shows we have a long way to go when it comes to our dietary Kryptonite: sugar. New data from PEW Research Center claimed each American ate about 77 pounds of sugar every year, on average. That's about 90 grams of sugar daily, much more than the World Health Organization suggests (25 grams for women, 37.5 for men).

Overall, we're consuming less pure sugar than in previous generations but more artificial corn sweeteners. Sugar consumption was actually at an all-time high in 1999, when a single American consumed 90 pounds of sugar every year.

Sugar statistics weren't the only part of this research. Americans' grain and wheat consumption has skyrocketed to almost 600 calories daily despite recent trends in gluten-free diets. Americans are also consuming more chicken than beef, a trend that has reversed over the past few decades.

Notably, Americans are eating more overall than in previous years. In 2010, the average American consumed 2,481 calories daily, about 23 percent more than in 1970. Almost half of our daily calories come from grains and cooking oils.

Check out the research report from PEW for more information.