Top 11 Reasons For Fast Food's Popularity

Fast food lives up to its name in a new study of people who frequently eat at fast-food restaurants.

Nearly 600 adults and teens in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area were interviewed for the study in 2005-2006. Most reported eating fast food at least three times per week.

After tucking into a meal at a fast-food restaurant, participants rated how strongly they agreed or disagreed with 11 statements about why they like fast food.

Here are their top reasons for eating fast-food meals, according to the percentages of people who agreed with each statement:

1. They're quick: 92.3%


2. They're easy to get to: 80.1%


3. I like the taste of fast food: 69.2%


4. They're inexpensive: 63.6%


5. I'm too busy to cook: 53.2%


6. It's a "treat" for myself: 50.1%


7. I don't like to prepare foods myself: 44.3%


8. My friends/family like them: 41.8%


9. It is a way of socializing with friends and family: 33.1%


10. They have many nutritious foods to offer: 20.6%


11. They're fun and entertaining: 11.7%

The "I'm too busy to cook" line was more popular among people with college degrees than people with less education. And young adults were less likely than older adults to say they ate fast food because it offered many nutritious choices.

Still, the results boil down to speed and convenience at one end of the spectrum, and nutrition and fun at the other end. Bridging that gap means coming up with speedy, nutritious alternatives, suggest the researchers, who included Sarah Rydell, MPH, of the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.

Their findings appear in December's edition of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.



By Miranda Hitti
Reviewed by Louise Chang
?2005-2008 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved

[caldwellptr]

I''m thin because I Bulimic.

Still I would not touch Fast Food. It is sooooO bad for you.

I used to be thin because I was rich. That was before the recession when it was OK to be a living symbol of excess.

[skinnyminny2]

I''ve lived and worked all over the country and have always been able to find something decent. Even cruddy truck stops have apples or bananas hidden somewhere--and I do mean hidden.

I''d rather go hungry than eat junk, and have. Thankfully most fast food places have fairly decent salads and unsweetened teas.

My opinion is that people who frequent these places are just a bit lazy and undisciplined with their planning. It''s so much easier--and cheaper--to keep healthy snacks with you or prepare meals in advance and freeze or refrigerate. A bigger waistline is the price many pay for this ''convenience''.

[mph262]

"Convenience stores almost always have fresh fruit, yogurts or a healthy sandwich somewhere."

where do you live?? because most have chips, lotto, and smokes...

[centerfall94]

How about - "I''''m fat and lazy"

Posted by KOMMONCENTS at 04:21 PM

Sure, that''s your excuse, but others might have different reasons.

[skinnyminny2]

There ARE speedy, nutritious alternatives. Conveneince stores almost always have fresh fruit, yogurts or a healthy sandwich somewhere.
Guess that''s why I''m very thin and lots of others aren''t. Go ahead, eat that big mac. I''ll be the one sailing past you on the sidewalk during a 9 mile run.

[kommoncents-2009]

How about - "I''m fat and lazy"