A trip to your local drive-through may
present you with more options than you would have had a decade ago. Salads,
oatmeal, fruit smoothies – at a glance it’s easy to think that fast food
restaurants have upgraded their typical fries and burger fare. However, a
closer examination reveals that despite the explosion of ‘healthy’ options,
fast food still will not do your waistline any favors.
Katherine W. Bauer of the Temple
University Department of Public Health and Center for Obesity Research and
Education led a study examining the calorie counts of offerings at eight
popular fast food chains. The menu selections and average calorie counts of the
last 14 years were tabulated and compared. This study confirmed the ballooning of fast
food menu choices. In 2014, the eight restaurants studied had a combined total
of 679 menu items. By 2017 that number had leaped to 1036 items. Much of this
increase is accounted for by ‘healthy’ options that include entree salads and
sweetened teas. With the number of
healthy options increasing, one would expect that the average calorie count
would decrease. However, this is not the case. Bauer’s study found that there
was very little noticeable change in the median number of calories in entrees
and drinks. The average calorie count in side dishes did decrease from 264 to
219, likely because of limits on size and the addition of more side salads.
And why the no change?
Even though there was an increase in
the number of salads and smoothies that sound like an improvement, choosing a
salad over a Big Mac does not necessarily reduce your calorie count. The study
cites two reasons for this. 1. Many fast food salads include rich dressings and
calorie-dense toppings like cheese and bacon bits. Second, people may not stop
at a salad. "You might order a lower-calorie entree, but then you get a
drink, fries and a dessert," said Bauer. "Calories can add up very
quickly." And 2. With fast food
calorie the counts lies not in the menu offerings but in the consumer’s desire
to eat. A calorie-dense fast food meal may not be a problem every once in a
while, but as a regular part of a person’s diet they can quickly lead to
unwanted pounds. A recent study showed that 80% of adults had purchased fast
food in the past month and 28% had reported fast food consumption in the past
week. Bauer explains that her study is not meant to discourage people from ever
eating fast food. However, diners should take preparation method, portion size
and condiments into consideration when making food choices.
Access to Information
Several changes in US law will require
all restaurants with more than 20 locations to display calorie counts on their
menus. This leads to an interesting question: will greater access to
nutritional information change consumer’s dining habits? Bauer speculates that being forced to display
caloric information may prompt restaurants to change their offerings even more.
"Fast food restaurants may modify the calorie content of the foods they
sell so consumers can see a smaller number on the menu board," she explains.
"The key is for consumers to try to educate themselves about calories and
be aware that just because a restaurant promotes healthful options, does not
mean that overall the foods sold are lower calorie."
Steps to Take Now
Just because fast food menus are not
getting much healthier yet does not mean you have to avoid the drive through
completely. Instead, go in with as much knowledge as possible. If calorie
counts are not plainly available on the menu board, ask for copies of the
restaurant’s nutritional information. You can also find this information
online. Another common trap to avoid
when eating fast food is consuming unnecessary calories. The average 20 ounce
soda can have over 200 calories – calories that could be eliminated by
switching to water. A slice of cheese can add 50 calories to a burger. A packet
of salad dressing can have as many calories as the soda you just said no to, as
well as a large portion of your daily fat allowance.
While fast food restaurants may not be
reducing their calorie counts, being an educated consumer will allow you to
make choices that will improve your health.
As always, stay safe !
-Bird
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