Title: 37 Percent of American Adults Eat Fast Food Daily: CDC Report | Everyday Health
Headings: Many American Adults Eat Fast Food Daily — Here’s Why That’s a Problem
Many American Adults Eat Fast Food Daily — Here’s Why That’s a Problem
Debunking the Fast Food and Poverty Myth
Women Get Fast Food Snacks More Than Men
Why Fast Food Often Isn’t the Healthiest Option
How to Make Smarter Choices When You’re on the Go
NEWSLETTERS
Sign up for our Diet and Nutrition Newsletter!
Enter your email

Content: In the report, not only did researchers measure how often American adults ate fast food, they also identified certain trends based on income and sex. Debunking the Fast Food and Poverty Myth
The higher your income, the more likely you are to swing by the drive-through, the data suggest. Contrary to the belief that people who earn less rely more on fast food because it offers a cheap source of calories, the CDC found that the percentage of adults who ate fast food daily increased with family income. About 32 percent of people with the lowest income eat fast food daily, compared with about 36 percent of people with a middle income and 42 percent of people with the highest income. While the current study didn’t explore why, past research offers clues. For example, a study published in November 2017 in Economics & Human Biology found a link between more hours worked, rather than wealth, and a greater tendency to eat fast food regularly. “I constantly hear people list time as a barrier that keeps them from making their own meals,” says Sharon Palmer, a Los Angeles–based registered dietitian nutritionist in private practice. “ If you’re making a higher income, you’re likely working a lot of hours, and if you don’t pack ahead, what’s your option other than fast food?” The CDC report found lunch is the most popular fast-food meal for Americans to grab, followed closely by dinner. Palmer’s theory also makes sense when you factor in that the oldest age bracket studied, 60-plus (and potentially retired) people, was the least likely to eat fast food daily.