Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Epidemiology

Fast-food and full-service restaurant consumption and daily energy and nutrient intakes in US adults

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 70, pages 97–103 (2016)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/Objectives:

Calorie intake and diet quality are influenced by the source of food and the place of consumption. This study examines the impacts of fast-food and full-service restaurant consumption on daily energy and nutrient intakes in US adults.

Subjects/Methods:

Nationally representative data of 18 098 adults 18 years of age and above from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003–2010 waves were analyzed. Outcomes included daily intake of total calories and 24 nutrients of public health concern. The key predictors were any food/beverage consumption in a day from fast-food or full-service restaurant, differentiated by consumption at home versus away from home. First-difference estimator addressed confounding bias from time-invariant unobservables such as personal food/beverage preferences by using within-individual variations in diet and restaurant consumption status between two nonconsecutive 24-h dietary recalls.

Results:

Fast-food and full-service restaurant consumption, respectively, were associated with a net increase in daily total energy intake of 190.29 and 186.74 kcal, total fat of 10.61 and 9.58 g, saturated fat of 3.49 and 2.46 g, cholesterol of 10.34 and 57.90 mg, and sodium of 297.47 and 411.92 mg. The impact of fast-food and full-service restaurant consumption on energy and nutrient intakes differed by sex, race/ethnicity, education, income and weight status. Increased total energy, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium intake were substantially larger when full-service restaurant food was consumed away from home than at home.

Conclusions:

A holistic policy intervention is warranted to target the American’s overall dining-out behavior rather than fast-food consumption alone.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Get just this article for as long as you need it

$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. US Department of Agriculture US Department of Health and Human Services Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. US Government Printing Office: Washington, DC, USA.

  2. Krebs-Smith SM, Guenther PM, Subar AF, Kirkpatrick SI, Dodd KW . Americans do not meet federal dietary recommendations. J Nutr 2010; 140: 1832–1838.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Lachat C, Nago E, Verstraeten R, Roberfroid D, Van Camp J, Kolsteren P . Eating out of home and its association with dietary intake: a systematic review of the evidence. Obes Rev 2012; 13: 329–346.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Carlson A, Gerrior S . Food source makes a difference in diet quality. J Nutr Educ Behav 2006; 38: 238–243.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Guthrie JF, Lin BH, Frazao E . Role of food prepared away from home in the American diet, 1977-78 versus 1994-96: changes and consequences. J Nutr Educ Behav 2002; 34: 140–150.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Kant AK, Graubard BI . Eating out in America, 1987-2000: trends and nutritional correlates. Prev Med 2004; 38: 243–249.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Fryar CD, Ervin RB . Caloric intake from fast food among adults: United States, 2007-2010.. National Center for Health Statistics: Hyattsville, MD: Hyattsville, MD, 2013 NCHS data brief, no 114.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Bowman SA, Vinyard BT . Fast food consumption of U.S. adults: impact on energy and nutrient intakes and overweight status. J Am Coll Nutr 2004; 23: 163–168.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. French SA, Harnack L, Jeffery RW . Fast food restaurant use among women in the Pound of Prevention study: dietary, behavioral and demographic correlates. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2000; 24: 1353–1359.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Paeratakul S, Ferdinand DP, Champagne CM, Ryan DH, Bray GA . Fast-food consumption among US adults and children: dietary and nutrient intake profile. J Am Diet Assoc 2003; 103: 1332–1338.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Schröder H, Fïto M, Covas MI, REGICOR Investigators. Association of fast food consumption with energy intake, diet quality, body mass index and the risk of obesity in a representative Mediterranean population. Br J Nutr 2007; 98: 1274–1280.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Boutelle KN, Fulkerson JA, Neumark-Sztainer D, Story M, French SA . Fast food for family meals: relationships with parent and adolescent food intake, home food availability and weight status. Public Health Nutr 2007; 10: 16–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Bowman SA, Gortmaker SL, Ebbeling CB, Pereira MA, Ludwig DS . Effects of fast-food consumption on energy intake and diet quality among children in a national household survey. Pediatrics 2004; 113: 112–118.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. French SA, Story M, Neumark-Sztainer D, Fulkerson JA, Hannan P . Fast food restaurant use among adolescents: associations with nutrient intake, food choices and behavioral and psychosocial variables. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2001; 25: 1823–1833.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Maddock J . The relationship between obesity and the prevalence of fast food restaurants: state-level analysis. Am J Health Promot 2004; 19: 137–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Niemeier HM, Raynor HA, Lloyd-Richardson EE, Rogers ML, Wing RR . Fast food consumption and breakfast skipping: predictors of weight gain from adolescence to adulthood in a nationally representative sample. J Adolesc Health 2006; 39: 842–849.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Pereira MA, Kartashov AI, Ebbeling CB, Van Horn L, Slattery ML, Jacobs DR Jr et al. Fast-food habits, weight gain, and insulin resistance (the CARDIA study): 15-year prospective analysis. Lancet 2005; 365: 36–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Schmidt M, Affenito SG, Striegel-Moore R, Khoury PR, Barton B, Crawford P et al. Fast-food intake and diet quality in black and white girls: the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2005; 159: 626–631.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Powell LM, Nguyen BT, Han E . Energy intake from restaurants: demographics and socioeconomics, 2003-2008. Am J Prev Med 2012; 43: 498–504.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Sturm R, Cohen DA . Zoning for health? The year-old ban on new fast-food restaurants in South LA. Health Aff (Millwood) 2009; 28: 1088–1097.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Sugary Drinks http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/living/cdp_pan_pop.shtml.

  22. Swartz JJ, Braxton D, Viera AJ . Calorie menu labeling on quick-service restaurant menus: an updated systematic review of the literature. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2011; 8: 135.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Sharma LL, Teret SP, Brownell KD . The food industry and self-regulation: standards to promote success and to avoid public health failures. Am J Public Health 2010; 100: 240–246.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity Solving the Problem of Childhood Obesity within a Generation: White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity Report to the President. 2010. http://www.letsmove.gov/sites/letsmove.gov/files/TaskForce_on_Childhood_Obesity_May2010_FullReport.pdf.

  25. Kim D, Kawachi I . Food taxation and pricing strategies to “thin out” the obesity epidemic. Am J Prev Med 2006; 30: 430–437.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Brownell KD, Farley T, Willett WC, Popkin BM, Chaloupka FJ, Thompson JW et al. The public health and economic benefits of taxing sugar-sweetened beverages. N Engl J Med 2009; 361: 1599–1605.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Sturm R, Powell LM, Chriqui JF, Chaloupka FJ . Soda taxes, soft drink consumption, and children's body mass index. Health Aff (Millwood) 2010; 29: 1052–1058.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Jacobson MF, Brownell KD . Small taxes on soft drinks and snack foods to promote health. Am J Public Health 2000; 90: 854–857.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. US Food and Drug Administration Overview of FDA Proposed Labeling Requirements for Restaurants, Similar Retail Food Establishments and Vending Machines. 2013. http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/LabelingNutrition/ucm248732.htm.

  30. Clemens LH, Slawson DL, Klesges RC . The effect of eating out on quality of diet in premenopausal women. J Am Diet Assoc 1999; 99: 442–444.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Beydoun MA, Powell LM, Wang Y . Reduced away-from-home food expenditure and better nutrition knowledge and belief can improve quality of dietary intake among US adults. Public Health Nutr 2009; 12: 369–381.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Ma Y, Bertone ER, Stanek EJ, Reed GW, Hebert JR, Cohen NL et al. Association between eating patterns and obesity in a free-living US adult population. Am J Epidemiol 2003; 158: 85–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. McCrory MA, Fuss PJ, Hays NP, Vinken AG, Greenberg AS, Roberts SB . Overeating in America: association between restaurant food consumption and body fatness in healthy adult men and women ages 19 to 80. Obes Res 1999; 7: 564–571.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Wardle J, Haase AM, Steptoe A, Nillapun M, Jonwutiwes K, Bellisle F . Gender differences in food choice: the contribution of health beliefs and dieting. Ann Behav Med 2004; 27: 107–116.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Rolls BJ, Fedoroff IC, Guthrie JF . Gender differences in eating behavior and body weight regulation. Health Psychol 1991; 10: 133–142.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Leblanc V, Bégin C, Corneau L, Dodin S, Lemieux S . Gender differences in dietary intakes: what is the contribution of motivational variables? J Hum Nutr Diet 2014; 28: 37–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Block JP, Scribner RA, DeSalvo KB . Fast food, race/ethnicity, and income: a geographic analysis. Am J Prev Med 2004; 27: 211–217.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Lucan SC, Barg FK, Long JA . Promoters and barriers to fruit, vegetable, and fast-food consumption among urban, low-income African Americans—a qualitative approach. Am J Public Health 2010; 100: 631–635.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Kim D, Leigh JP . Are meals at full-service and fast-food restaurants “normal” or “inferior”? Popul Health Manag 2011; 14: 307–315.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Darmon N, Drewnowski A . Does social class predict diet quality? Am J Clin Nutr 2008; 87: 1107–1117.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Hiza HA, Casavale KO, Guenther PM, Davis CA . Diet quality of Americans differs by age, sex, race/ethnicity, income, and education level. J Acad Nutr Diet 2013; 113: 297–306.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Wansink B . Environmental factors that increase the food intake and consumption volume of unknowing consumers. Annu Rev Nutr 2004; 24: 455–479.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Story M, Kaphingst KM, Robinson-O'Brien R, Glanz K . Creating healthy food and eating environments: policy and environmental approaches. Annu Rev Public Health 2008; 29: 253–272.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Archer E, Hand GA, Blair SN . Validity of US nutritional surveillance: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey caloric energy intake data, 1971-2010. PLoS One 2013; 8: e76632.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Wang Y, Lehane C, Ghebremeskel K, Crawford MA . Modern organic and broiler chickens sold for human consumption provide more energy from fat than protein. Public Health Nutr 2010; 13: 400–408.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA

    R An

Authors
  1. R An
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to R An.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

An, R. Fast-food and full-service restaurant consumption and daily energy and nutrient intakes in US adults. Eur J Clin Nutr 70, 97–103 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2015.104

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2015.104

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links