Massive's put together a neat interactive visualization of Eatery's data that reveals a number of intriguing patterns. Chief among them is the gradual shift over the course of the day, at least in Western countries, from early healthy meals to late-night binges on junk food. As you move your mouse across the map, the spots of green that indicate good-for-you meals fade to yellow before turning into splotches of red after nightfall. This pattern holds whether you're in Paris or Philadelphia.
Another interesting pattern is that the U.S. grows far redder than Europe ever does. That Americans eat poorly compared to Europeans is little surprise, but the colors put it into sharp relief.
Other findings from Massive's data mining:
- The healthiness of our meals decreases by 1.7 percent every hour of the day.
- New Yorkers drink 6.7 times the amount of coffee that people in other cities do.
- People are 57 percent more likely to be obese if their friends are obese.
These figures are based on self-reported data coming from people who can afford smartphones, but even so, it's a novel attempt at trying to understand global nutrition.
I'm a proud investor in these guys. Keep up the good work making us healthier, Aza!