KEY POINTS
- By 2030, nearly half of U.S. adults will be obese, including almost 1 in 4 who will have severe obesity.
- Many American food additives (think flame retardants and suspected carcinogens) and production standards that have been approved domestically are banned or strictly regulated abroad.
Despite being home to a vast array of culinary delights, the United States is also the world's leading nation when it comes to food waste and obesity. Americans discard nearly 60 million tons of food each year, equating to around 325 pounds per person, which accounts for nearly 40% of the U.S. food supply. In addition to this staggering waste, the country also holds the title of the most obese nation in the world, with an adult obesity rate of 41.9% as of 2020. By 2030, it's projected that nearly half of U.S. adults will be obese, with about 25% experiencing severe obesity.
