Changes in energy content of lunchtime purchases from fast food restaurants after introduction of calorie labelling: cross sectional customer surveys

Abstract Objective To measure the energy content of frequently ordered meals from full service and fast food restaurants in five countries and compare values with US data. Design Cross sectional survey. Setting 223 meals from 111 randomly selected full service and fast food restaurants serving popular cuisines in Brazil, China, Finland, Ghana, and India were the primary sampling unit; 10 meals from five worksite canteens were also studied in Finland. The observational unit was frequently ordered meals in selected restaurants. Main outcome measure Meal energy content, measured by bomb calorimetry. Results Compared with the US, weighted mean energy of restaurant meals was lower only in China (719 (95% confidence interval 646 to 799) kcal versus 1088 (1002 to 1181) kcal; P<0.001). In analysis of variance models, fast food contained 33% less energy than full service meals (P<0.001). In Finland, worksite canteens provided 25% less energy than full service and fast food restaurants (mean 880 (SD 156) versus 1166 (298); P=0.009). Country, restaurant type, number of meal components, and meal weight predicted meal energy in a factorial analysis of variance (R 2 =0.62, P<0.001). Ninety four per cent of full service meals and 72% of fast food meals contained at least 600 kcal. Modeling indicated that, except in China, consuming current servings of a full service and a fast food meal daily would supply between 70% and 120% of the daily energy requirements for a sedentary woman, without additional meals, drinks, snacks, appetizers, or desserts. Conclusion Very high dietary energy content of both full service and fast food restaurant meals is a widespread phenomenon that is probably supporting global obesity and provides a valid intervention target.

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Organisational Culture Dimensions And Employee Performance In Nigerian Fast Food Restaurants

GIS Business ◽

10.26643/gis.v14i6.16857 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 14 (6) ◽

pp. 1070-1096

Author(s):

Friday Ogbu Edeh ◽

Joy Nonyelum Ugwu ◽

Isaac Monday Ikpor ◽

Anthony Chukwuma Nwali ◽

Chimeziem C. Gabriela Udeze

Keyword(s):

Fast Food ◽

Employee Performance ◽

Simple Random Sampling ◽

Organisational Culture ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Market Culture ◽

Culture Dimensions ◽

Clan Culture ◽

Fast Food Restaurants

This study investigates the effect of organisational culture dimensions on employee performance in Nigerian fast food restaurants using cross-sectional survey. Forty fast food restaurants were selected using simple random sampling. Nine hundred and twenty five employees were surveyed. Sample size of two hundred and seventy two was ascertained with Krejcie and Morgan. Method for data collection is questionnaire. Two hundred and thirty nine copies of questionnaire were retrieved out of two hundred and seventy two copies administered. Simple linear regression was used to analyse the hypotheses with the aid of IBM SPSS 20.0. This study found that organisational culture dimensions predicted with clan culture and market culture has a positive significant effect on employee performance. It concludes that organisational culture dimensions measured in terms of clan culture and market culture engenders employee performance through effectiveness and efficiency. One of the practical implications is that Nigerian fast food restaurant practitioners should clearly define their clan culture for newcomers to imbibe to enable them increase their performance.

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Frequency of Restaurant, Delivery and Takeaway Usage Is Not Related to BMI among Adults in Scotland

10.20944/preprints202008.0004.v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Ahmad Albalawi ◽

Catherine Hambly ◽

John R. Speakman

Keyword(s):

Fast Food ◽

Online Survey ◽

New Technology ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Food Outlets ◽

Total Food ◽

Frequency Of Use ◽

Fast Food Restaurants ◽

Widespread Belief ◽

Individual Use

Background: The frequency of visits to restaurants has been suggested to contribute to the pandemic of obesity. However, few studies have examined how individual use of these restaurants is related to BMI using new technology of reminding to avoid memory error. Aim: To investigate the association between the usage of different types of food outlets and BMI among adults in Scotland. Method: The study was cross-sectional. Participants (n = 681) completed an online survey for seven consecutive days where all food purchased at food outlets was reported each day. We explored the relationship between BMI and usage of these restaurants using auto-reminder text system. Results: Body Mass Index (BMI) of both males and females was not related to frequency of use of Full-Service Restaurants (FSRs), Fast Food Restaurants (FFRs), delivery or takeaways, when assessed individually, or combined (TFO= Total Food Outlet). Conclusion: These data do not support the widespread belief that consumption of food out of the home at fast-food and full-service restaurants, combined with that derived from deliveries and takeaways, is a major driver of obesity in UK.

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Survey on salt content in selected food products of fast food restaurants and determination of salt intake awareness among fast food consumers in Klang Valley

Malaysian Journal of Nutrition ◽

10.31246/mjn-2020-0120 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 27 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Zainorain Natasha Zainal Arifen ◽

◽

Nur Zakiah Mohd Saat ◽

Hasnah Haron ◽

◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fast Food ◽

Online Survey ◽

Salt Intake ◽

Salt Content ◽

Food Products ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

High Salt ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

High Salt Content ◽

Fast Food Restaurants

Introduction: Malaysians are exposed to a high salt diet, which is one of the contributors to the prevalence of hypertension among them. This study aimed to identify the salt content in selected food products of fast food restaurants and to determine the salt intake awareness among fast food consumers. Methods: Salt content data were collected through online survey from the official websites of selected restaurants (Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonald’s, Subway® and Texas Chicken). The food products were classified into eight food categories (chickenbased, potato-based, rice-based, sandwich, salad, bread, dessert, and sauce). The cross-sectional study on salt intake awareness was conducted among 108 Malaysian adults from these restaurants. A knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) questionnaire was disseminated online. The salt content and the consumers’ salt intake awareness were analysed using Statistical Products and Service Solution (SPSS) software version 25.0. Results: A total of 105 food products were surveyed in this study. Sauce products contained the highest salt content (1.9±0.8 g/100g), followed by bread (1.2±0.3 g/100g), potato-based (1.2±0.4 g/100g), chicken-based (1.2±0.3 g/100g), sandwich (1.1±0.6 g/100g), rice-based (0.7±0.3 g/100g), salad (0.4±0.2 g/100g), and dessert (0.3±0.4 g/100g). For the KAP study, a total of 108 consumers had participated and mostly (48.2%) had a fair level of salt intake awareness. Conclusion: Most food products of fast food restaurants contained high salt content and majority of fast food consumers had a fair level of salt intake awareness. More strategic interventions are needed to control the salt intake among adults in Malaysia

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Associations between Fast-Food Restaurants Surrounding Kindergartens and Childhood Obesity: Evidence from China

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18179334 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (17) ◽

pp. 9334

Author(s):

Chenyang Wang ◽

Zhiping Zhen ◽

Nan Zhao ◽

Chenlin Zhao

Keyword(s):

Childhood Obesity ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Fast Food ◽

Positive Association ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Prevalence Of Obesity ◽

Fast Food Restaurants ◽

The Mean ◽

Urban And Rural Areas ◽

Definition Of

The prevalence of obesity among preschool children has risen dramatically due to the influx of Western fast food in China. In this study, we aimed to provide clear evidence on the associations between fast-food restaurants and childhood obesity. We collected and combined three unique cross-sectional datasets: physical fitness data, geographic information, and the financial data of each kindergarten. The two-stage least squares were used for empirical analyses. The final data including 75,730 children were from 785 kindergartens in 82 cities and 23 provinces in China in 2018. The mean age of participants was 4.94 ± 0.87; 34,249 (45.2%) females and 41,481 (54.8%) males. The number of fast-food restaurants within 1, 2, and 3 km radii had a significant and positive correlation with obesity, and this correlation decreased as the radius increased. Furthermore, the distance to the nearest fast-food restaurant had a significant and negative correlation with obesity. Western fast-food restaurants contributed more to obesity than the broader definition of fast-food restaurants. There was marked heterogeneity between urban and rural areas. Our findings documented that fast-food restaurants had a significant and positive association with childhood obesity, thus the restriction of fast-food restaurants surrounding kindergartens might be considered.

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Perceptions of portion size and energy content: implications for strategies to affect behaviour change

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980011001236 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

pp. 246-253 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Emily Brindal ◽

Carlene Wilson ◽

Philip Mohr ◽

Gary Wittert

Keyword(s):

Fast Food ◽

Energy Content ◽

Portion Size ◽

Average Error ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Energy Estimation ◽

Food Items ◽

Computer Based ◽

Males And Females ◽

Actual Size

AbstractObjectiveTo assess Australian consumers’ perception of portion size of fast-food items and their ability to estimate energy content.DesignCross-sectional computer-based survey.SettingAustralia.SubjectsFast-food consumers (168 male, 324 female) were asked to recall the items eaten at the most recent visit to a fast-food restaurant, rate the prospective satiety and estimate the energy content of seven fast-food or ‘standard’ meals relative to a 9000 kJ Guideline Daily Amount. Nine dietitians also completed the energy estimation task.ResultsRatings of prospective satiety generally aligned with the actual size of the meals and indicated that consumers perceived all meals to provide an adequate amount of food, although this differed by gender. The magnitude of the error in energy estimation by consumers was three to ten times that of the dietitians. In both males and females, the average error in energy estimation for the fast-food meals (females: mean 3911 (sd 1998) kJ; males: mean 3382 (sd 1957) kJ) was significantly (P < 0·001) larger than for the standard meals (females: mean 2607 (sd 1623) kJ; males: mean 2754 (sd 1652) kJ). In women, error in energy estimation for fast-food items predicted actual energy intake from fast-food items (β = 0·16, P < 0·01).ConclusionsKnowledge of the energy content of standard and fast-food meals in fast-food consumers in Australia is poor. Awareness of dietary energy should be a focus of health promotion if nutrition information, in its current format, is going to alter behaviour.

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Assessment of the influence of Facebook on eating out at fast food restaurants: a cross-sectional study of Palestinian college students

The Lancet ◽

10.1016/s0140-6736(21)01487-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 398 ◽

pp. S1

Author(s):

Lina Abdul-Samad ◽

Dina Zidan ◽

Mary Odette-Abedrabbo

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Fast Food ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Fast Food Restaurants ◽

Eating Out

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Childhood Obesity: Is the Built Environment More Important Than the Food Environment?

Clinical Medicine Insights Pediatrics ◽

10.1177/1179556520932123 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 14 ◽

pp. 117955652093212

Author(s):

Wenes Pereira Reis ◽

Mark Ghamsary ◽

Caroline Galustian ◽

Henrik Galust ◽

Patti Herring ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Childhood Obesity ◽

Built Environment ◽

Food Environment ◽

Fast Food ◽

Family Income ◽

Grocery Stores ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Perceived Safety ◽

Fast Food Restaurants ◽

Parents Education

Obesity continues to be a health burden to society and new efforts may be needed to combat this epidemic. This study aims to investigate the contribution of parents education and level of income, food environment (grocery stores and fast food restaurants), and built environment (perceived safety, availability/quantity of parks) on childhood obesity. This cross-sectional observational study explored whether parents education and income level, built environment, and food environment can affect children with obesity. Participants were selected from 3 separate elementary schools located in an urban community with higher risk to have children with obesity in Montclair, California. Children living in families with low incomes have 2.31 times greater odds to be affected by obesity than children living in higher income homes. Children whose parents did not feel safe in their neighborhoods had odds of obesity 2.23 times greater than those who reported their neighborhoods as safe. Age also appeared to be a risk factor, and the odds of children affected by obesity among children 8 to 9 years was 0.79, and the odds of being affected by obesity among children 10 to 11 years of age was 0.36, when compared to children 6 to 7 years old. Findings suggest that low family income, perceptions of neighborhoods as unsafe, and young age are associated with higher body mass index (BMI) percentiles among children living in poor neighborhoods in Montclair, California.

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Quality of Meals Consumed by US Adults at Full-Service and Fast-Food Restaurants, 2003–2016: Persistent Low Quality and Widening Disparities

Journal of Nutrition ◽

10.1093/jn/nxz299 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 150 (4) ◽

pp. 873-883 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Junxiu Liu ◽

Colin D Rehm ◽

Renata Micha ◽

Dariush Mozaffarian

Keyword(s):

Diet Quality ◽

Fast Food ◽

Nutritional Quality ◽

Heart Association ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Obesity Status ◽

Meal Quality ◽

Fast Food Restaurants ◽

Race Ethnicity

ABSTRACT Background Meals from full-service restaurants (FS) and fast-food restaurants (FF) are an integral part of US diets, but current levels and trends in consumption, healthfulness, and related sociodemographic disparities are not well characterized. Objectives We aimed to assess patterns and nutritional quality (using validated American Heart Association [AHA] diet scores) of FS and FF meals consumed by US adults. Methods Serial cross-sectional investigation utilizing 24-h dietary recalls in survey-weighted, nationally representative samples of 35,015 adults aged ≥20 y from 7 NHANES cycles, 2003–2016. Results Between 2003 and 2016, American adults consumed ∼21 percent of energyfrom restaurants (FS: 8.5% in 2003–2004, 9.5% in 2015–2016, P-trend = 0.38; FF: 10.5%; 13.4%, P-trend = 0.31). Over this period, more FF meals were eaten for breakfast (from 4.4% to 7.6% of all breakfasts, P-trend <0.001), with no changes for lunch (15.2% to 15.3%) or dinner (14.6% to 14.4%). In 2015–2016, diet quality of both FS and FF were low, with mean AHA diet scores of 31.6 and 27.6 (out of 80). Between 2003 and 2016, diet quality of FF meals improved slightly, (the percentage with poor quality went from 74.6% to 69.8%; and with intermediate quality, from 25.4% to 30.2%; P-trend <0.001 each). Proportions of FS meals of poor (∼50%) and intermediate (∼50%) quality were stable over time, with <0.1% of consumed FS or FF meals meeting ideal quality. Disparities in FS meal quality persisted by race/ethnicity, obesity status, and education and worsened by income; whereas disparities in FF meal quality persisted by age, sex, and obesity status and worsened by race/ethnicity, education, and income. Conclusions Between 2003 and 2016, FF and FS meals provided 1 in 5 calories for US adults. Modest improvements occurred in nutritional quality of FF, but not FS, meals consumed, and the average quality for both remained low with persistent or widening disparities. These findings highlight the need for strategies to improve the nutritional quality of US restaurant meals.

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