title: Statistical review of US macronutrient consumption data, 1965-2011: Americans have been following dietary guidelines, coincident with the rise in obesity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  For almost 50 y, the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) has measured the caloric consumption, and body heights and weights of Americans. The aim of this study was to determine, based on that data, how macronutrient consumption patterns and the weight and body mass index in the US adult population have evolved since the 1960s.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted the first comprehensive analysis of the NHANES data, documenting how macronutrient consumption patterns and the weight and body mass index in the US adult population have evolved since the 1960s.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Americans in general have been following the nutrition advice that the American Heart Association and the US Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services have been issuing for more than 40 y: Consumption of fats has dropped from 45% to 34% with a corresponding increase in carbohydrate consumption from 39% to 51% of total caloric intake. In addition, from 1971 to 2011, average weight and body mass index have increased dramatically, with the percentage of overweight or obese Americans increasing from 42% in 1971 to 66% in 2011.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Since 1971, the shift in macronutrient share from fat to carbohydrate is primarily due to an increase in absolute consumption of carbohydrate as opposed to a change in total fat consumption. General adherence to recommendations to reduce fat consumption has coincided with a substantial increase in obesity.
authors.affiliation: The Brattle Group, Cambridge, MA. Electronic address: evan.cohen@brattle.com.
authors.forename: Evan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.affiliation: The Brattle Group, Cambridge, MA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cragg
authors.affiliation: The Brattle Group, Cambridge, MA.
authors.forename: Jehan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: deFonseka
authors.affiliation: North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.
authors.forename: Adele
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hite
authors.affiliation: The Brattle Group, Cambridge, MA.
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
authors.affiliation: The Brattle Group, Cambridge, MA.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000592:standards; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000592:standards; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D009749:Nutrition Surveys / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats
keywords: BMI; Carbohydrate share; Fat share; NHANES; USDA dietary guidelines