NEW YORK - April 22, 2011 - The combination of rising gasoline prices and the steepest increase in the cost of food in a generation is threatening to push the U.S. economy further into Depression, according to Craig Johnson, president of Customer Growth Partners.

Johnson looks at the percentage of income consumers are spending on gasoline and food as a way of gauging how consumers will fare when energy prices spike.

With gas prices now standing at about $3.90 a gallon, energy costs have now passed 6% of spending - a level that Johnson says is a "tipping point" for consumers.

"Energy is not quite as essential as food and water, but is a necessity in today's economy, and when gasoline costs more than bottled water - like now - then it takes a huge bite out of disposable spending," he said, in a research note.

Of the six U.S. recessions since 1970, all (except in 2001) have been linked to energy prices that crossed the 6% of personal consumption expenditures, he said. (During the shallow 2001 recession, energy prices had risen to about 5% of spending, which is higher than the long-term 4% share.)

What may make matters worse this time around, is there has been a steep increase in food prices that occurred as well. In other recent recessions, food costs were benign, at between 7.5% and 7.8% of spending. This year food prices have climbed 6.5% since the beginning of early January, according to Consumer Growth Partners.