My Dog vs. the World

Initially I'd meant for this to be a light post. It turned somewhat sobering.

About three years ago, I stopped buying the expensive premium dogfood for my dog because he ate so many baby leftovers that I figured any nutrition the cheap stuff lacks, he'll more than make up for. (So far today, he's had half a cheese omelet that my daughter didn't eat, a few handfuls of Ramen noodles, and a little bit of leftover cereal and milk.)

I got to wondering how well he ate compared to people in third world nations. Last week during a field trip to the NKU library, I ran across some reference books that gave the data. Now I wish I hadn't seen it:

Highest Average Caloric Intake (1991 stats)

1. Libya - 3,812
2. Ireland - 3,699

6. U.S. - 3,641

Lowest (1991 stats)

10. Afghanistan - 1,896
9. Mali - 1,893
8. Mozambique - 1,881
7. Guinea - 1,880
6. Bangladesh - 1,837
5. Ethiopia - 1,793
4. Uganda - 1,784
3. Ghana - 1,769
2. Maldives - 1,765
1. Chad - 1,762


Highest Average Caloric Intake (1997 stats)

1. Ireland - 3,951
2. Belgium - 3,925

6. U.S. - 3,642

Lowest (1997 stats)

10. Rwanda - 1,915
9. Sierra Leone - 1,899
8. Angola - 1,880
7. Somalia - 1,873
6. Central African Republic - 1,847
5. Mozambique - 1,804
4. Afghanistan -1,764
3. Comoros - 1,760
2. Chad - 1,733
1. Ethiopia - 1,699


Highest Daily Grams of Protein (recommended 65 g/day) (1997 stats)

1. Iceland - 127.9
2. Ireland - 119.7

5. U.S. - 111.1


Lowest Daily Grams of Protein
(recommended 65 g/day) (1997 stats)

10. Angola - 44.3
9. Ghana - 43.8
8. Bangladesh - 43.6
7. Guinea-Bissau - 43.4
6. Nigeria - 42.9
5. Sierra Leone - 39.9
4. Comoros - 38.3
3. Liberia - 37.1
2. Zaire (Congo) - 33.7
1. Mozambique - 30.3


My Dog's Intake Yesterday

3 cups of Dad's cheapest brand of dogfood - 897 (299/cup) 16% protein

Equivalent of 2 pieces of Red Baron pizza - 250 (usually 170/slice but most cheese and pepperoni eaten off top; estimated very little protein)

3 generic dog biscuits - 100 (calories not listed but same general ingredients as Dad's) 15% protein

A few M&Ms - 50 (estimate based on 480 calories/bag)

1/4 cup of shredded cheese (thrown from high chair) 100 calories, 7 grams of protein

Total - 1,397

He's less than a Snickers bar away from beating the Ethiopians and he's only 40 some pounds (we can diet him down to 35 to meet condo bylaws). Pound for pound, he's probably got all of Africa beat. I guess that's more ammo about "you're lucky to be an American" but it just gets me depressed.

And I do have to wonder, after all my sainted grandma's stories about suffering in Dublin, how did the Irish get to the top of the list? (Lite beer hasn't made it to Eire?)