Fast food consumption declines among U.S. adults and children
The consumption of fast food has declined among both U.S. adults and youth, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Between August 2021 and August 2023, 32% of adults aged 20 and older reported eating fast food on a given day, with fast food accounting for an average of 11.7% of their daily calories. This marks a decrease from 14.1% in 2013–2014 and 13.4% in 2017 to March 2020.
The most significant drop was seen in adults aged 20 to 39, whose intake fell from 19.2% of daily calories in 2017–2020 to 15.2% in 2021 to 2023. No significant changes were observed in older age groups, according to the data. Fast food calorie intake was highest among younger adults and those with higher body weight. Adults with some college education consumed more fast food than those with less or more formal education.
Children and adolescents also showed declines. From 2021 to 2023, 30.1% of youth aged 2 to 19 consumed fast food on a given day, down from 36.3% in 2015–2018. Average daily calorie intake from fast food dropped from 13.8% to 11.4%.
Read more: CDC
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