NATIONAL FOOD CONSUMPTION. 



193 



groups of staples, like the grains and the vegetables, in the nutrition 

 of the people of the nation. We can calculate with accuracy the 

 total national food bill, and so forth. 



The final net results as to consumption of human foods in the 

 United States during the seven years are set forth in Table I. In 

 that table the results are given for the several nutrient values, pro- 

 tein, fat, carbohydrate and calories, only. This is the most scien- 



CARBOHYi >f?AT£ 



Fig. I. Relative curves for human food consumption. The figure for the 

 year 1911-12 is taken as 100 in each case and the relative figure for each 

 year calculated to that base. 



tific, and as soon as one become accustomed to it, by far the most 

 useful way of thinking about food consumption. 



The data of Table I. are summarized by years in Table II., and 

 are shown graphically in relative form in Fig. i. 



The first thing which impresses one about the consumption fig- 

 ures is their extreme uniformity from year to year, as compared 

 with production, exports and imports. This is exactly what would 

 be expected, of course. No matter how much production, exports 

 and imports may fluctuate, within wide limits, the people of this 

 country eat about the same amount each year. To have the sta- 

 tistical calculation come out to this result so beautifully is strong 

 evidence of the correctness of the long and tedious preliminary cal- 



PROC. AMER. PHIL. SOC, VOL. LVIII, M, JULY 26, I919. 



