We’re eating more cheese and chicken but less beef and whole milk

A study in 2015 found for the first time that obese people outnumber those who are just overweight, and both groups outnumber those who are a healthy weight.

And while researchers partially attributed findings to people needing to live more active and less sedentary lifestyles, many weight loss specialists say 75 percent of losing weight is what you eat, and only 25 percent is exercise.

A graphic by Flowing Data looked at how diets in America changed between 1971 and 2013 based on information from the Department of Agriculture. And it had several findings in the foods we eat more of and less of.

The consumption of cheese more than doubled per person between 1971 and 2013. The average person ate .21 cups of cheese per day in 1971, and in 2013 people ate about .58 cups of cheese per day, nearly tripling the amount.

The consumption of chicken has more than doubled, from about an ounce per day to a little more than two ounces. The consumption of dark green vegetables, such as spinach and broccoli, has exploded, to .03 cups per day to .23 cups.

Other foods that have increased include: avocados, skim milk, cooking oil, turkey, bananas, strawberries, grapes and nearly all grains, including grits, corn starch, rice and corn flour.

On the other end, consumption of beef, whole milk, margarine, lard, lettuce, veal, lamb and miscellaneous fats has all decreased.

The most significant percentage decrease was in whole milk, from .75 cups per day to .16 cups.

This story was originally published May 17, 2016 at 10:04 AM with the headline "We’re eating more cheese and chicken but less beef and whole milk."