The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a new study that found one-third of U.S. children eat fast food every day.

Since the 1990s, about one-third of U.S. kids eat fast food every day. Despite increased governmental efforts to promote healthy eating habits, not much has changed.

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that there has been no change in levels of fast food consumption or in the amount of calories gained from a fast food diet.

The Study

Almost 35 percent of U.S. children consume fast food on any given day, according to the CDC.
Image: CDC

The study, conducted by the CDC, included 3,100 children ages 2 through 19. Researchers asked the children or their parents about the food they ate in the past 24 hours. The survey was done in 2011 and 2012.

The findings show that some people never eat fast food, while others eat it every day. Adolescents ages 12 to 19 are more likely to eat fast food than children ages 2 to 9.

The researchers found:

• Adolescents got about 17 percent of their daily calories from fast food, compared to about 9 percent in younger children.
• Black, white and Hispanic youth all got roughly the same proportion of their daily calories from fast food — around 12 percent. For Asians, the average was significantly lower, at 8 percent.
• There was no significant difference between kids from families of different income levels. Some studies have found a difference, Fryar noted.

Although calorie totals weren’t included, kids consume about 1,900 calories a day. About 245 calories are from fast food, which is the equivalent of a basic McDonald’s hamburger.

“Previous studies have reported that acculturation to the U.S. lifestyle plays an important role in the adoption of unhealthy behaviors, such as fast food consumption, in Asian-American and other immigrant groups,” according to the study.

Effects Of A Fast Food Diet

Children eating fast food every day will be getting an increased amount of calories, which leads to high body mass index and obesity.
Image: Guardian

Fast food is calorie-heavy, contributing to an obese and overweight population. Drive-thru french fries and takeout pizza are causing a national health concern. Obesity has been stable at about 17 percent over the last decade.

“This analysis found no significant differences in fast food consumption by poverty status or weight status among children and adolescents,” according to the study.

For the last decade, the proportion of calories from fast food has been 12 percent for the last decade, slightly more than the 11 percent previously reported for adults.

“At least we’re not seeing it go up,” said Cheryl Fryar, a study author.

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According to the Chain Reaction report, meat sold by major American fast food chains contains an unsafe amount of antibiotics.

The 25 largest fast food chains in the United States are getting schooled — not surprisingly, the report card doesn’t look so good.

The meat sold by the nation’s major fast food providers has been analyzed for its antibiotic content. The scorecard exposes the seriousness of an underreported health issue that affects the nation as a whole.

The Report Card

The scorecard shows that only five American fast food chains received a passing grade, while 20 other restaurants failed the test.

Friends of Earth released a “Chain Reaction” report in conjunction with the Natural Resources Defense Council, Consumers Union, Food Animal Concerns Trust, Keep Antibiotics Working, and Center for Food Safety.

The report grades America’s top restaurant chains on their policies and practices regarding antibiotics in their meat and poultry. Researchers gathered data from restaurants in person, through email and snail mail.

The researchers looked at how well these policies were implemented, including the estimated availability of meat produced without routine antibiotics. The grade also takes into account how transparent the restaurant is about its policies, and if the practices were online.

The grades were calculated based on the establishment’s antibiotics use policies, including the strength of the policy and if it applies to all meat products offered. The total number of possible points was 36.

According to the report, 20 of the most popular fast food restaurants failed, which meant the meat they sold contained a lot of antibiotics. The restaurants that received zero points include Wendy’s, Burger King, Dominos, Starbucks, Olive Garden, Papa John’s, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC, Applebee’s, Sonic, Chili’s, Jack in the Box, Arby’s, Dairy Queen, IHOP, Outback and Little Caesars.

Each restaurant had a different response of explanation for their good, or not-so-good, grade.

Dunkin’ Donuts and Dominos both said their food complies with all FDA and USDA laws. Wendy’s and Starbucks are working to address concerns about antibiotic use. Burger King plans to review the findings.

Only two restaurants passed with flying colors. Chipotle and Panera Bread both received an “A” score because their meat isn’t treated with antibiotics.

“While many people are just starting to pay attention to the issue, we have known for a long time that it is the right thing to do, and we are pleased to see others taking even small steps to curb antibiotic use in livestock,” Chipotle said in response to the report.

Panera Bread had a similar reaction, claiming that “More than a decade ago, we started serving chicken raised without antibiotics — ahead of the industry. We’re glad to see that others have followed and proud to have extended our commitment to all of the chicken, ham, bacon, sausage and roasted turkey on our salads and sandwiches.”

Chik-fil-a, coming in with a “B” score, is working to catch up to their 2014 claim of ‘No Antibiotics Ever.’ Representatives say that the switch will take time, and that verification from suppliers is of utmost importance. McDonald’s is also working to eliminate some antibiotics in their meat supply.

Papa Johns, which received an “F,” is spending $100 million a year to eliminate artificial ingredients and other additives. “By the first half of 2016, we will offer antibiotic-free chicken on our pizza,” Papa Johns said in response.

The Meaning Behind The Meat

Consuming meat that contains antibiotic-resistant bacteria will make antibiotics ineffective when they are needed most.
Image: Maximized Living

The meat industry uses antibiotics to prevent animals from getting infections that would develop from poor diet and unsanitary conditions. Using antibiotics as a standard preventative method has yielded resistant bacteria, which is then passed on to humans.

“When livestock producers administer antibiotics routinely to their flocks and herds, bacteria can develop resistance, thrive and even spread to our communities, contributing to the larger problem of antibiotic resistance,” according to the report authors.

This is a bigger problem than we think. At least 2 million Americans contract antibiotic-resistant infections every year, the CDC estimates. These infections will kill about 23,000 people.

“The worsening epidemic of resistance means that antibiotics may not work when we need them most: when our kids contract a staph infection (MRSA), or our parents get a life-threatening pneumonia,” according to the study.

In addition, six hormones are used in the industry to promote faster, larger growth of animals. Although the scorecard doesn’t measure the amount of hormones used in fast food meat, the authors want to caution as using them as a replacement for antibiotics.

The report urges restaurants to “use their considerable purchasing power to make meat and poultry produced without the routine use of antibiotics more readily available to consumers.”

The authors also call upon the Food and Drug Administration to mandate greater transparency on antibiotic use in the meat industry, and create “policies that prohibit use of medically important antibiotics for both growth promotion and disease prevention.”

According to the report, it’s really up to the consumer. Recommendations ranging from diners to restaurants, government officials and farmers are included in the report.

“As more consumers demand better meat options, they will become more widely available,” the authors wrote. “Remember: it’s your money, your health and your future.”

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