Abstract
Background
US national survey data shows fast food accounted for 11% of daily caloric intake
in 2007-2010.
Objective
To provide a detailed assessment of changes over time in fast-food menu offerings
over 30 years, including food variety (number of items as a proxy), portion size,
energy, energy density, and selected micronutrients (sodium, calcium, and iron as
percent daily value [%DV]), and to compare changes over time across menu categories
(entrées, sides, and desserts).
Design
Fast-food entrées, sides, and dessert menu item data for 1986, 1991, and 2016 were
compiled from primary and secondary sources for 10 popular fast-food restaurants.
Statistical Analysis
Descriptive statistics were calculated. Linear mixed-effects analysis of variance
was performed to examine changes over time by menu category.
Results
From 1986 to 2016, the number of entrées, sides, and desserts for all restaurants
combined increased by 226%. Portion sizes of entrées (13 g/decade) and desserts (24
g/decade), but not sides, increased significantly, and the energy (kilocalories) and
sodium of items in all three menu categories increased significantly. Desserts showed
the largest increase in energy (62 kcal/decade), and entrées had the largest increase
in sodium (4.6% DV/decade). Calcium increased significantly in entrées (1.2%DV/decade)
and to a greater extent in desserts (3.9% DV/decade), but not sides, and iron increased
significantly only in desserts (1.4% DV/decade).
Conclusions
These results demonstrate broadly detrimental changes in fast-food restaurant offerings
over a 30-year span including increasing variety, portion size, energy, and sodium
content. Research is needed to identify effective strategies that may help consumers
reduce energy intake from fast-food restaurants as part of measures to improve dietary-related
health issues in the United States.
Keywords
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Biography
M. A. McCrory is a research associate professor of nutrition, Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA.
Biography
A. G. Harbaugh is a research associate professor of quantitative methods, Mathematics & Statistics Department, Boston University, Boston, MA.
Biography
S. Appeadu is a medical student, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH; at the time of the study, she was a graduate student, Division of Graduate Medical Sciences, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA.
Biography
S. B. Roberts is a senior scientist and director, Energy Metabolism Lab, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA.
Article info
Publication history
Published online: February 27, 2019
Accepted:
December 11,
2018
Received:
December 31,
2017
Footnotes
Supplementary materials: Podcast available at www.jandonline.org/content/podcast
STATEMENT OF POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
FUNDING/SUPPORT This work was supported in part by the US Department of Agriculture under agreement no. 58-1950-4-003 with Tufts University. The Fast Food Guides (1986 and 1991) were provided to Dr Susan Roberts by Michael F. Jacobson of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).
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