Fast food consumption increases among 20% of families surveyed, report finds

“The pandemic has disrupted many family routines, including where and what they eat,” said Gary L. Freed, MD, MPH, co-director of the survey and the Mott pediatrician who aims at the PollShould use the responses of a nationally representative sample of 2,019 parents of children aged 3 to 18 to determine how the pandemic has affected families’ eating habits.

Fast food acceptable in moderation

While almost all parents think that fast food is unhealthy for their children, according to the survey, more than four in five percent think it is okay in moderation.

“Parents mostly acknowledge that fast food is not an ideal choice, but see it as an acceptable ‘sometimes food’,” says Freed.

Three quarters of parents also agreed that fast food is a good family meal when pressed for time. A third of parents said fast food was good value for money, and 24% think it is cheaper than preparing meals at home and a more convenient option. According to the survey, 40% of parents said they were too busy to cook at home, while 20% said they were too stressed out.

But when it comes to what parents allow their children to order in fast food restaurants, a large majority (88%) allow their children to order what they want, while one in three parents say they read nutritional information in fast food restaurants . However, just over two-thirds (67%) of parents say they encourage their children to choose the healthier option and cut down on unhealthy items like french fries and milkshakes.

Fast food consumption varied based on how parents perceived their child’s weight. Parents who said their child was overweight (no specific weight range was given in the report) visited a fast food restaurant twice a week almost twice as often as parents of normal weight children (33% versus 17%).

Unhealthy food choices were also more common among parents who reported their children were overweight – 54% of parents of overweight children said their child ordered lemonade with their fast food meal, compared with 31% of normal-weight children.

“Most fast food dishes are loaded with calories, sodium, and saturated fat; A meal at a fast food restaurant often exceeds the recommended intake of fat, sodium, and calories for the day while being low in nutrients or fiber, ”noted Freed.

According to the CDC, children and adolescents consumed an average of 13.8% of their calories from fast food on any given day between 2015 and 2018, compared with 12.4% between 2011 and 2012.

Progress in industry?

In 2018, McDonald’s announced its long-term goal of improving the nutritional standards of its Happy Meals to ensure that 50% or more of its Happy Meal Bundles offerings, featured on menus in 120 markets, meet the company’s nutritional criteria by 2022 meals must have 600 or less calories, 650 mg of sodium or less, and 10% or less calories from saturated fat and added sugar.

In 2019, an average of 43% of Happy Meal packages met the nutritional criteria, an improvement of 32% in 2018.

Pandemic has encouraged healthier eating habits

While many of the parents surveyed said fast food was an easier and less stressful option when it comes to family mealtime, about half of the parents also reported that since March 2020, with the start of the pandemic and COVID shutdowns, an increasing number of home-cooked meals have been observed were consumed.

Freed noted several factors, including more parents who work from home and may have more options to prepare meals, and families who may feel unsafe eating out.

“We were encouraged to see that lifestyle changes caused by the pandemic are actually leading to healthier eating habits in many families,” said Freed.

“But for others, there have been challenges and demands that may have made it difficult to maintain a healthy diet, which can have a negative impact on children’s health.”

FOOD FOR CHILDREN 2021

How else has the pandemic affected children’s eating habits? Find out more in the FOOD FOR KIDS Interactive Broadcast Series from FoodNavigator-USA on 10 + 17. November 2021. Register your interest HERE.

source https://www.bisayanews.com/2021/09/21/fast-food-consumption-increases-among-20-of-families-surveyed-report-finds/