Fast-Food Fare

Abstract

Fast-food restaurants are here to stay and are gaining patronage.1 But how nutritious are the meals they serve? How should health care professionals discuss the consumption of fast foods with patients and their families responsibly yet practically?Every second, an estimated 200 people in the United States order one or more hamburgers.2 The U.S. National Restaurant Association estimates that on a typical day, 45.8 million people — a fifth of the American population — are served at fast-food restaurants.3 The fast-food industry boasts phenomenal growth. From 1970 to 1980, the number of fast-food outlets increased from 30,000 to 140,000, and . . .