Each day, 1 in 4 Americans visits a fast food restaurant
In 1970, Americans spent $6.2 billion at fast-food restaurants. In 2004,
it was $124 billion
French fries are the most eaten vegetable in America. The average
American now eats 30 pounds of French fries annually – up from only 3.5
pounds in 1960
Before most children can speak they can recognize McDonald's
Surgeon General David Satcher: "Fast food is a major contributor to the
obesity epidemic"
Most nutritionists recommend not eating fast food more than once a month
40% of American meals are eaten outside the home
In 1970, there were around 70,000 fast-food establishments in the
country. In 2001, there were 186,000
Soft-drink consumption in the United States increased 135%between 1977
and 2001
In the early days, a soda at Burger King was 12 ounces. That's now
called a “small” soda. A medium is 20 ounces, and a large is 32. A
super-size soda at McDonald's is 42 ounces. The Double Gulp at your local
7-Eleven comes in a bucket the size of a wastepaper basket, which holds 64
ounces of soda – half a gallon. Depending on how much ice you put in it,
that's 600 – 800 calories. And it contains the equivalent of 48 teaspoons of
sugar
The American Journal of Preventive Medicine published a study in 2004
showing that the percentage of fast-food calories in the American diet has
increased from 3% to 12% over the last 20 years
