Candy: scrumptious and often colorful, tasty and affordable, it’s loved by millions of people all over the world, and in particular, by Americans. With the average American consuming as much as 25 pounds of candy every single year, it would seem as if much of this is in the form of chocolate bars. But while it can’t be denied that America consumes a lot of candy (especially during Halloween!), there are other countries who are just as keen on the sugary confectionary, too.
Read on to find out which country consumes the most of the best candy in the world:
Europe
Coming in a close second behind the U.S.A, Europe is the second biggest consumer of candy, in fact, Europeans are responsible for around half of global candy consumption.
The Swiss are of course renowned for their chocolate making skills, and as such, most of their candy consumption centers around that. But they eat a lot of it, and at an average of 24 pounds consumed annually, they’re almost up there with the Americans.
Following on from Switzerland is Germany and the UK, who also consume similar amounts of different types of candy annually.
Asia
There is a stark contrast between the candy consuming habits of America and Europe, and those of Asian countries such as India and China. Indian people are reported to consume as little as 6 ounces of candy a year, and the people of China eat even less at around 3.5 ounces a year.
What about sugar consumption around the world?
It doesn’t take a genius to work out that candy consumption is closely related to sugar consumption, and with Americans consuming a whopping 126 grams of sugar every day, it’s easy to see why they have the top position globally. Having said that, the Germans consume around 103 grams of sugar daily; not too far behind America. Then there are the Dutch, who are reported to consume an average of 102.5 grams of sugar daily.
As you might expect when you see the statistics for candy consumption throughout Asia, countries in this continent consume very little sugar when compared to other parts of the world, and likely have better teeth and overall health for it!
Are we consuming too much candy and sugary foods?
Unfortunately, it’s clear to see that the Western diet in particular, features a lot of candy and sugar, and with the World Health Organization recommending that we consume a maximum of 50 grams of sugar per day, this surely doesn’t bode well for their citizens health?
However, as with many things in life that are deemed to be bad for us (and often are), provided you can enjoy the best candy bars in moderation, and limit your intake to prevent developing health conditions such as diabetes and obesity, there’s no problem with enjoying a sweet, sugary treat from time to time.
If you’re struggling with an addiction to candy or sugar, reach out to a medical professional for advice and support, but if you’re happy to treat yourself to candy on occasions in which you know you deserve it, more power to you!
