The accuracy of the data would depened on the method used to determine intakes. For example, "disappearance" data tends to overestimate food consumption, especially Fat. Disappearance Data is derived by taking how much food is produced and subtracting what we know know was used Industrally, in Gov't Feedlots, and what remained unsold at the end of the year. Unfortunately, it fails to account for waste, using foods for purposes other than food, spoilage, feeding human food to animals, and such. LF Advocates sometimes try to use disappearance data to say that we are eating more fat than we were in 1970.

The data does show a 3% rise in fat disappearance, but it says right at the beginning that fat wasting has increased 6%...and that's a conservative estimate. Some estimates are even higher. It also shows significant rises in Fruit and Vegetable Disappearance. While Potatoes, Corn (not a veggie,) and Fruit Juices make up a portion of this figure...a good portion is other fruits and veggies, especially Grapes and Bananas. Frozen Berry disappearance has slightly decreased. I wonder how much of the increase in Fruits and Veggies is attributable to increased spoilage and/or waste...

The most dramatic part it shows is the change in Sugars...especially HFCS. Disappearance of HFCS has risen 15,500% since 1970...from 1/2 pound a year to 62.4 pounds a year. To put that in perspective, the Average American in 1970, consumed <1g of HFCS (dry weight) a day, while the average American today consumes 77.6g (dry weight) EVERY DAY. On an side note, the chart includes two types of HFCS: 42 and 55. I assume that refers to the percentage of Fructose. In 1970, the consumption of HFCS-42 was <1g a day, and HFCS-55 was ZERO. Today, we consume 29.5g of HFCS-42 and 48.1g of HFCS-55 per day. Since HFCS is used primarily by packaged food makers, and has an indefinite shelf life, waste, spoilage, and other non-food uses are minimal.