Researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology have found that the world’s growing population will require significantly more calories than previously projected due to changes in the size and energy needs of the average adult. Between 1975 and 2014, the average person consumed 2,465 calories a day, up from 2,615 calories in 2014. The increase in population and body size has been mitigated by the fact that older individuals require less food.
Researchers have long known that feeding the future world population, estimated to reach 9.8 billion people by 2050, will be a challenge. But in 2018, given quantifiable changes in the size of people around the world, researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology began to question previous projections of future food needs. They looked at how the size and energy needs of the average adult have changed since 1975. Compared to their 1975 counterparts, people in 2014 were 14% heavier, 1.3% taller, and required 6.1% more energy. power. In 1975, the average person consumed 2,465 calories a day, up from 2,615 calories in 2014. If these trends continue, even more food will need to be produced to feed the population increase of more than 2 billion people projected by 2050.
How to handle a hungry planet:
Between 1975 and 2014, the average amount of food consumed increased by 129 percent. The increase in population and body size has actually been mitigated by the fact that older individuals in our aging population require less food.
Biodemography researchers have noted several changes in different regions. They found the largest gains in size in Africa and the lowest rates of change in Asia.
“Based on the trends discovered, feeding 9 billion people in 2050 will require significantly more calories than today,” the researchers concluded.
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