Has fast food become worse for our health in the past 30 years?

Filled with empty calories and ultra-processed, fast food may increase the risk of obesity and cancer. While fast-food chains have ostensibly been trying to offer more healthful options, a new study finds that the health impact of their menus has not improved — to the contrary, in fact.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that, between 2013 and 2016, more than 30 % of adults in the United States ate fast food on any given day.

Moreover, according to a study conducted by University of Connecticut researchers in 2018, around 74 % of parents purchase unhealthful foods for their children in fast-food restaurants.

Fast food still fuels chronic conditions

The researchers looked at how entrées, sides, and desserts changed on these fast-food restaurants' menus over the 30-year span.

More specifically, they paid attention to changes in caloric content, portion size, energy density, and sodium, iron, and calcium contents.