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Yahoo
7 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
How much fast food do Americans eat?
Nearly a third of U.S. adults age 20 and older eat fast food on any given day. And of those who do, 1 in 5 get at least a quarter of their calories that day from fast food. Just over 1 in 12 get more than half their day's calories that way. Those numbers are based on an assessment by the National Center for Health Statistics in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, using findings of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between August 2021 and August 2023. The report, released Wednesday night, noted that 'fast-food consumption has been associated with an increased intake of calories, fat, sodium and sugar, and with a lower intake of fiber, calcium, iron, fruits, dairy, whole grains, nuts and seeds.' The researchers said that 'restaurant fast food/pizza' was considered fast food in the analysis. Overall, fast food accounted for 11.7% of calories adults consumed on a given day. The share was higher for younger adults. Those ages 20 to 39 got more than 15% of calories from fast food, as did just under 12% of those 40 to 59 and 6% of those 60 and older. Both those with college degrees and those with high school diplomas ate less fast food than those with some college but no degree. While the report said there is a link between higher fast food calorie consumption and increasing weight, it also noted that the percentage of calories consumed from fast food decreased between its 2013-2014 assessment (14.1%) and the 2021-2023 assessment (11.7%). According to the survey data, there was no significant difference in the share of calories that men and women got from fast food. In a separate analysis released at the same time, the researchers wrote that 'fast-food consumption is associated with higher caloric intake and poorer diet quality in children and adolescents.' But a lot of kids eat fast food on any given day, especially among those who are older. According to the report, between 2015 and 2018, 36.3% of children ages 2 to 19 ate fast food on a given day and the average youth got 13.8% of their calories from fast food. So the researchers were interested in seeing whether the trend changed or stayed relatively the same between August 2021 and August 2023. They found fast-food consumption dropped to 30.1% consuming it on a given day, getting 11.4% of their daily calories from fast food. When they broke it into age groups, the mean share of calories consumed from fast food was 8.5% for children 2 to 11 and 14.6% for those ages 12 to 19. Again, there was no significant difference between males and females in either age category. The report showed that among all children ages 2 to 9, the mean percentage of calories from fast food dropped compared to analysis of fast food consumption in 2017 through March 2020. Among the older age group, mean calories from fast food consumption had risen starting in 2013, then dropped. Fast food sometimes gets a bad rap, according to Healthline. 'While most fast foods are based on cheap, unhealthy ingredients, many fast-food establishments now offer nutritious entrees and sides. Popular examples include wraps, salads, and burritos,' the Healthline article said. A study in the journal Public Health Nutrition found that '85% of menu items from the six highest-selling fast-food restaurants in the USA are ultra-processed.' The researchers, from Arizona State University and State University of New York at Oneonta, analyzed 740 menu items, looking at their ingredients to determine how processed they were. They also recommended that fast-food restaurants consider adding more minimally processed foods. But Healthline reports that 'almost every fast-food restaurant offers healthy options. If not, the meals can sometimes be modified to suit your dietary preferences or needs.' The article notes that 'fast-food restaurants usually have vegetarian options as well. Take your time reading through the menu. You'll most likely find something healthy, or something that can be made healthier with simple modifications.' Chloë Ward, a nutritionist, told The Daily Mail that moderation is key, but sometimes you crave a less healthy option and that's OK. Balance matters, she said. 'From a functional perspective, we want to focus on blood sugar balance, lowering inflammation and supporting digestion — even when convenience is the priority,' she said. 'The goal is to make fast food work with your body, not against it.' Besides picking the healthier options, Ward suggests bringing a few with you, such as nuts or avocado. 'You can absolutely support your health and still grab something from a drive-thru when needed,' she said.
Medscape
09-06-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Youth Overdose Deaths From Synthetic Opioids Surge
While youth overdose deaths from any substance rose by 40% between 2018 and 2022, deaths involving only synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, increased by 168% and surpassed deaths from polydrug combinations, a new study showed. METHODOLOGY: The National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System, and Multiple Cause of Death datasets were used to examine trends in overdose deaths among US youth aged 15-24 years from 2018 to 2022 across ages, sexes, races and ethnicities, and regions. Researchers identified drug poisoning deaths through the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision . . Fatal overdoses involving synthetic opioids alone or in combination with benzodiazepines, cocaine, heroin, prescription opioids, and other stimulants were analyzed using multiple/contributing cause of death fields. Investigators calculated the prevalence and rates of overdose per 100,000 youth using annual US Census Bureau population estimates by race and ethnicity. TAKEAWAY: Youth overdose deaths from any substance increased from 4652 to 6723 (10.9 to 15.2 per 100,000 people) between 2018 and 2022. Fatal overdoses involving only synthetic opioids increased from 1.6 to 4.3 deaths per 100,000 youth over the same period, whereas deaths involving synthetic opioids and heroin decreased by 85%. In 2022, males had 2.5 times the rate of fatal overdoses involving synthetic opioids alone compared to females (95% CI, 2.3-2.8), with both sexes showing similar increases over the study period. By 2022, fatal overdoses involving only synthetic opioids among American Indian/Alaska Native non-Hispanic youth increased to 2.3 times the rate compared to White non-Hispanic youth (95% CI, 1.6-3.1). The highest annual changes in rate of overdose deaths involved synthetic opioids and other stimulants (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.5; 95% CI, 1.3-1.7), synthetic opioids only (IRR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.1-1.4), and synthetic opioids and cocaine (IRR, 1.2; 95% CI, 1.2-1.3). IN PRACTICE: 'Before we looked at the data, we thought we would find that the majority of fatal youth overdoses involved fentanyl combined with other substances, such as prescription opioids or cocaine. Instead, we found the opposite — that most deaths were caused by fentanyl alone,' study co-investigator Noa Krawczyk, PhD, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York City, said in a press release. 'These findings highlight the changing risks of the drug supply and the need for better access to harm-reduction services to prevent deaths among youth,' the investigators wrote. SOURCE: This study was led by Megan Miller, MPH, Department of Population Health, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York City. It was published online on May 20 in Pediatrics . LIMITATIONS: This study was limited by potential residual misclassification in mortality coding practices, small sample sizes for examining youth who identify as more than one race, and lack of information about sexual orientation. DISCLOSURES: This study was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Krawczyk reported receiving compensation for expert witness testimony as a part of ongoing opioid litigation. The other investigators reported having no relevant financial disclosures.
