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Tuesday, March 12th, 2019

Bigger, Saltier, Heavier: Fast Food Since 1986 in 3 Simple Charts

Author:     Tiffany Hsu
Source:     The New York Times
Publication Date:     March 3, 2019
 Link: Bigger, Saltier, Heavier: Fast Food Since 1986 in 3 Simple Charts
Stephan:   This is a very disturbing story. A large percentage of Americans eat fastfood not as an occasional meal, but as a regular meal. That is one of the reasons the American population is not just fat but obese, and why Type II diabetes has become a health crisis, particularly amongst the young. To hear the fast food companies describe what they are doing they are getting more and more health conscious, and their food is getting healthier. As this report states, that is not the truth. The fact is fastfoods are, "bigger, saltier, heavier" than they were in 1986. Here's the data.

“The big picture is that there have been some positive changes,” one researcher said of fast food menus, “but they’re small, and over all, the changes have gotten worse.”
Credit: Gene J. Puskar/AP

Fast food chains have tried for years to woo health-conscious diners by mixing lighter fare like salads and yogurt with the usual burgers, fried chicken and shakes.

But as menus swelled over the past three decades with grilled chicken wraps (McDonald’s) and “fresco”burritos (Taco Bell), many options grew in size and the calories and sodium in them surged, according to new study from researchers at Boston University and Tufts.

The researchers studied 1,787 entrees, sides and desserts at 10 chains — Arby’s, Burger King, Carl’s Jr., Dairy Queen, Hardee’s, Jack in the Box, KFC, Long John Silver’s, McDonald’s and Wendy’s — from 1986 to 2016. In that time, the number of items in those three categories rose 226 percent.

According to the study — published last week in […]

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