Finally, some good news about obesity in the United States: American fast food items slimmed down by an average of 60 calories from 2012 to 2013, according to new research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Obesity is a huge problem in the United States. The American Heart Association estimates that approximately one in three children in America is either obese or overweight. A large part of the obesity epidemic stems from highly caloric menus at fast food joints. Research shows that about 36 percent of all American adults at at least one meal at a fast food restaurant every day.
In a new study, researchers looked at the calories on food items at fast food chains and compared them from 2012 to 2013. The study was published yesterday, October 8, in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
The researchers found that there were, on average, 60 fewer calories in food items in 2013 compared to 2012. This is significant, the researchers say.
"If the average calories consumed at each visit were reduced by approximately 60 calories, the population impact on obesity could be significant," the study said.
However, this study did not find that chains were reducing the number of calories in food items that already existed. Most of the reduced calorie averages came from the fast food chains adding items like salads, or introducing new low-calorie options, like a grilled-onion cheddar burger that McDonald's introduced in 2013 (310 calories). The fast food chains still have plenty of high-calorie choices.
The study also did not take into account the eating habits of customers. The researchers tracked the calorie average of food that was offered, but they did not track how many calories an average person ate per visit.
The introduction of any kind of lower-calorie option is still significant, says Margo Wootan, who works at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
"The whole obesity epidemic is probably explained by an extra 100 to 150 calories per person per day, so helping people cut 60 calories from their diet could make a big difference in the public's health," Wootan said.
This means that if you find yourself eating at McDonald's, or another chain restaurant, you should seek out the low-calorie options, and watch out for things like the 720-calorie Bacon Clubhouse Burger. If you're in doubt, opt for a salad instead of a burger.
Another research study showed that there was a 110 to 165 "energy gap" in children and teenagers, meaning that on average kids are eating about 100 more calories a day than they are burning. Having lower calorie offerings at fast food places might be the start of how to change that, said Sara Bleich, the lead author of the study.
