Americans eat more than they ever have, but a new study has found that women are eating a lot more calories more than men.
The report, issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that women's calorie intake has increased by more than 20-percent since 1971.
On The Net: Study Details.
However, men are consuming only 7 percent more calories than they were in 1971, according to the study.
The CDC research compared average calorie intakes among men and women between 1971 and 2000.
Researchers said carbohydrates account for most of the calorie increases during the last 30 years, and that they were surprised to find such a dramatic difference in caloric increases between men and women.
While saturated fat intake is down, according to the study, overall fat intake is about the same as it used to be because increased carbohydrate consumption.
Additionally, the study found that protein intake is also about the same as it used to be.
In 1971, the average woman ate 1,542 calories a day, but was eating 1,877 in 2000.
For men, the increase was 2,450 to 2,618 calories per day.
Researchers used data from the National Health and Nutrition
Examination Survey for their study.
The study is published in the
CDC's morbidity mortality weekly report.
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