Latest study tracks the appetites of Americans in preparation for the Super Bowl food binge.
Super Bowl is one of the biggest events for football fans in the U.S. that lasts for about four hours. The game played on the last Sunday of January or the first Sunday of February attracts thousands of Americans to watch the game.
Watching the game with friends and family also becomes an excuse for eating and drinking more than they do normally. However, it can take more than four hours to get rid of those extra calories and fat consumed during the game.
While the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks prepare for the Super Bowl Sunday on Feb. 1, researchers at the Cornell University tracked the grocery purchases before the event. The study involved spending habits of 200 households over a period of seven months.
The study used the calories per serving for each item purchased during each week spanning seven months. Adding up the calorie count for per serving of food items the researchers found that during the course of the four hour game, viewers down about 2,400 calories.
The study also suggests that an average American will eat over 6,000 calories on the day of the event, which is far more than the recommended daily calorie intake. This calorie count is even more than what an average American consumes even on Thanksgiving.
The researchers found that the week prior to Super Bowl Sunday witnesses the highest spending by Americans on grocery and food items.
The Cornell University research suggests that Americans spend about $150 on food items in the week before the game. It seems that Americans prepare for a game a week prior to the game as this week is the second most expensive grocery week for many Americans.
Super Bowl Sunday is also when people forget about calorie counts as food items with more calories level have high sales volume before the Super Bowl Sunday.
"The higher number represents the fact that the household was buying foods that give more calories each time they eat a recommended serving," says David Just, a professor of Behavioral Economics, who is also an author of the study. "This means people buy the highest calorie foods around the Super Bowl."
One light beer has around 150 calories. Women who consume more than four beers and men who consume more than five beers are said to be binge drinking.
