The line graph details the actual salt intake in two genders and the recommended amount in the US in the year of 2000.
The initial impression from the graph is that males were more likely to consume salt in larger amounts than female counterparts regardless of age. Interestingly, except children under 6 and women over 60, people were consuming much more salt than the recommended amount for adults during the surveyed period.
Young children under 6 consumed the least salt in their diet among six age brackets, at around 2250 milligrams for boys and 1300 milligrams for girls. These figures were almost half of the consumption of adults aged 20 to 39, with men and women consuming 4500 and 3000 milligrams, respectively, far exceeding the recommended amount of 2500 milligrams.
Boys from 6 to 11 consumed the same 3500 milligrams of salt as men above 60. Male teenagers and middle-aged men from 40 to 60 ate slightly more salt, 4300 milligrams and 4200 milligrams, respectively. Female individuals from aforementioned age ranges 6-11, 12-19, 40-60 included the same amount of salt in their diet, approximately 3000 milligrams. Meanwhile, women over the age of 60 consumed exactly the recommended amount of 2500 milligrams of salt.
