Study proves: these countries are home to the biggest gluttons
Oxford University looked into the question: which countries are home to the most gluttons? And how much do they wolf down on average in a single day? Let me tell you, the results are going to surprise you.
Because if you’re immediately thinking of America, you’re wrong. Yes, the country ranks number 2 on the list, with an average of 3,868 kilocalories per day. For comparison: that’s 7.3 Big Macs at 525 calories each per day. So which country is number 1? The United Kingdom, perhaps, where they have breakfast with bacon, baked beans and sausages, and knock back liters of pints? No way. With 3,422 kcal, they are ‘only’ in 26th place. Out of the 184 countries studied, that is. But it just goes to show that those assumptions about the greasy breakfast and liters of beer may actually be pretty stereotypical.
Number 1 country with the biggest gluttons
The country where the biggest gluttons live is the Middle Eastern nation of Bahrain. On average, they consume an unbelievable 4,012 kilocalories per day. My question is: HOW? Are they at McDonald’s every day? Do they have homes with snack walls? In any case, we’re not surprised that Oxford University’s study found that no fewer than 4 in 10 adults in Bahrain are obese. To make another comparison with the Big Mac: 4,012 kilocalories is equivalent to 7.6 Big Macs per day. Yes, I’m genuinely convinced that most Bahrainis secretly have a McDonald’s in their garden.
How do we fare?
And then there’s our own little country. How do we score on the calorie scale? Not all that well, actually. We rank 20th, with an average of 3,460 kilocalories per day. And that’s while women should/may consume an average of 2,000 and men an average of 2,500 calories per day (according to the World Health Organization and the Netherlands Nutrition Centre). Note that this is an average and a reference intake. Some people need more, others less. That depends in part on your height and lifestyle. If you exercise a lot and burn a lot of energy, you can often consume more calories on average. But still… 3,460 calories. That’s about 1,000 calories above the recommended average for a man. And that also means that some people are well above that figure. It’s an average for a reason. Wow.
Notable points on the list
Other notable points on the list can be found in the top 5, for example. Our southern neighbors in Belgium are in fourth place, with an average of 3,842 calories per day. Well, with such good Flemish fries and delicious specialty beers, I’d know what to do too. Number 3, Ireland, is also quite striking. They eat an average of 3,850 calories every day. You might expect their eating habits to be fairly similar to those in England, but there are still 23 places between them on the list. To complete the top 5: Turkey is in fifth place, with an average of 3,762 calories per day. Did you expect this result?
Read also:
- Expert tips: how to avoid all that unhealthy, ultra-processed food in the supermarket
- This is the unhealthiest snack you can order at the snack bar
- 4x comfort food that won’t make you fat
Source: HLN.be
