Maybe it’s true. At any given time a significant number of Americans in a given time zone are heading into either breakfast, lunch or dinner. If we’re talking about Americans who are not asleep, 30 million might be exactly right, or even a little low.
Another possibility is that 30 million sounds a little like FDR’s “A Third of a Nation” mantra and that’s why it sticks around.
Or maybe they’re all just a bunch of liars. Who knows? I’m too hungry to think about it.