Fast Food Traps

Eating out: The link to overweight and obesity

A topic of hot debate is whether or not the rise in fast food consumption has played a role in America’s epidemic of obesity and the rising incidence of health conditions such as diabetes. An increasing amount of research is now showing that the popularity of fast food has led to increases in fat and calorie intake in the American population and may be associated with overweight and obesity.

The increase of overweight and obese people cannot be directly tied to the fast food industry. However the American love of fast food is undeniable, approximately 1 in every 3 meals are eaten at a fast food restaurant. Eating out has certainly been a contributing factor to our waistline’s growing girth.

In 1960, 45% of Americans between the ages of 20-74 were overweight and 13% were obese. In 2000, 65% were overweight and 31% were obese. Not surprisingly with these increases certain diseases and conditions associated with overweight and obesity have also increased among our population: heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, gallbladder disease, arthritis, sleep apnea, and respiratory problems. Also poor female reproductive health including irregular ovulation and infertility has been associated with overweight and obesity. ¹

Portion sizes have also ballooned by 12-20% since the 1970’s both inside and outside the home. The largest increases have occurred at fast food establishments. Again, obesity rates have skyrocketed since the 1970’s –coincidence?

The nutrition quality of our diets suffers when satisfying hunger with fast food. Intake of essential vitamins and minerals is decreased because fast food is highly processed. High intake of fast food may have you turning your back on other more healthy options such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Additionally, more sugar sweetened beverages are consumed.

Common fast food traps

Fast food trap #1: “Value Meals”

Sadly, portions served in children’s meals are the appropriate amount for adults rather than children (McDonald’s hamburger Happy Meal contains 616 calories). Yet many Americans are opting for “Value Meals” that include larger fries and drinks to go with their burgers for minimal extra charge. A McDonald’s Big Mac alone is 490 calories; a small order of French fries is 210 calories; add approximately another 150 calories for a medium soft-drink and you are well over the limit of what would be considered a reasonable number of calories for a meal.

Avoiding the “Value Meal” trap

Buy the item you really crave a la carte, and carry a bottle of water for a drink.
If you can’t resist the food or savings, buy a Value Meal and split it with a family member or a friend. You will receive the added savings and a reasonable portion size.
When dining alone, consider buying a Kid’s Meal instead.

Fast food trap #2: Sugary Soft Drinks

Americans drink more soft drinks than they do water. Increased soda consumption has decreased the amount of other beverages people consume, particularly milk. During the last few decades milk consumption has decreased by 38% and sweetened beverages have increased by 135%. The net calorie change was an average increase of 278 calories per person each day.²

A 2003 report by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization noted that a high intake of sugar-sweetened beverages may promote weight gain. In a large study of Massachusetts’ public school children, investigators found that for every additional drink the kids consumed, their body mass index (BMI) increased proportionally. In another study, women who consumed 1 or more sugar-sweetened soft drinks per day were almost twice as likely to get type 2 diabetes as those drinking less than one of these beverages a month.³

As well as replacing more nutrient-filled drinks such as milk (which gives you the added benefits of calcium, vitamins B12, B2, and vitamin D), the phosphates and other chemicals in colas like Coke or Pepsi may leach calcium out of bones leading to decreased bone density.

Avoiding the trap: Healthy Drinks

Drink water, low fat milk (skim or 1%), or 100% fruit juice (limit portion to 6-8 fl oz) with your meals.
If you must drink soda, choose the smallest size, and consider ordering a diet soda.
Limit soft drink consumption as much as possible!

Fast Food Trap #3: The Salad Story

Many fast food restaurants have started to include salads as a fast food menu item. Typically salads will provide consumers with greens, grape or cherry tomatoes and a variety of toppers like chicken, almonds or mandarin oranges. In general many salads offered at fast food establishments are healthy alternatives to the typical choices. So where’s the trap? Salads can be a much healthier option but toppings like bacon and some dressings can make a “healthy” salad a caloric nightmare.

Some salad dressings alone can contain 350 calories or more. Other fat laden toppings such as cheese and meat can also make a big difference. For example the taco “salad” can have as many if not more calories than a hamburger and fries because they contain more meat and cheese than leafy greens and are often served in a deep fried shell.

How to Avoid the Trap

Choose a salad topped with grilled chicken, skip the dressing or choose salsa to “wet” your salad for a tasty meal under 300 calories.
If given the choice between crispy and grilled chicken, choose grilled and save yourself 9 grams of fat and over 100 calories.
If you want dressing choose a low fat variety and try to use as little as possible – don’t drown your food!
When ordering a taco salad, order without sour cream or guacamole and skip eating the fried shell.

References and Suggested Reading

References

National Center for Health Statistics, Health, United States, 2004: With Chart book on Trends in the Health of Americans. Hyattsville, Maryland: 2004
Nielsen SJ, Popkin BM. Changes in beverage intake between 1977 and 2001. Am J Prev Med. 2004; 27(3):205-10.
Falit B. Fast food fighters fall flat: plaintiffs fail to establish that McDonalds should be liable for obesity related illnesses. J Law Med Ethics. 2003; 31(4):725-9