As the government asked Americans to spend more conservatively in the early months of WWI, one way in which people could save money quickly became apparent.

“In 1916 the per capita consumption of sugar in Germany was approximately 20 pounds a person per annum… In England it was about 40 pounds; in France about 37 pounds, and in Italy about 29 or 30 pounds. In the United States it was 85 pounds! In New York City it was almost a hundred pounds.”

Americans may have cut back on the sugar intake during WWI, but alas the trend didn’t stick. Per capita sugar consumption is now more than 100 pounds per year. And America consumes by far the most sugar per capita of any nation.

Less Sugar Means Good-bye to Your Surplus Fat: Uncle Sam’s Appeal Demands a Tightening of Belts Among the Sweet-Toothed, for Whom This Extravagant Country Is Famous

From Sunday, November 4, 1917