One-Third of U.S. Adults Report Fast Food Consumption Daily from 2021 to 2023

According to recent findings from the National Center for Health Statistics, approximately 32% of adults in the United States consumed fast food on any given day between August 2021 and August 2023. This statistic highlights a significant aspect of dietary habits among the adult population.

Researchers, led by Nimit N. Shah, Ph.D., M.P.H., utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to analyze fast food consumption trends in American adults, specifically those aged 20 years and older. The study revealed that these adults derived about 11.7% of their daily caloric intake from fast food, with this percentage gradually decreasing with age. Notably, there was a decline in the percentage of calories consumed from fast food, dropping from 14.1% in the 2013-2014 period to 11.7% during the more recent study period.

In a complementary report, Shah and colleagues also examined fast food consumption among younger demographics, including children aged 2 to 11 years and adolescents aged 12 to 19 years. The findings indicated that 30.1% of individuals in this age group consumed fast food on a typical day within the same timeframe. On average, these youth consumed 11.4% of their daily calories from fast food, with the mean caloric intake from this source being 8.5% for children and 14.6% for adolescents.

Interestingly, the report noted that the average percentage of calories derived from fast food among youth was higher in the period leading up to March 2020 compared to the subsequent timeframe of August 2021 to August 2023.

These findings underscore ongoing concerns regarding dietary habits in the U.S., particularly the role of fast food in the diets of both adults and youth. Public health officials continue to monitor these trends to address potential health implications associated with high fast food consumption.