Abstract
BackgroundFood prepared away from home has become increasingly popular to U.S. families, and may contribute to obesity. Sales have been dominated by fast food outlets, where meals are purchased for dining away from home or in the home. Although national chain affiliated fast-food outlets are considered the main source for fast food, fast foods are increasingly available in convenience stores and supermarkets/grocery stores. In rural areas, these nontraditional fast-food outlets may provide most of the opportunities for procurement of fast foods.MethodsUsing all traditional and nontraditio nal fast-food outlets identified in six counties in rural Texas, the type and number of regular and healthiermenu options were surveyed using on-site observation in all food venues that were primarily fast food, supermarket/grocery store, and convenience store and compared with 2005 Dietary Guidelines.ResultsTraditional fast-food outlets represented 84 (41%) of the 205 opportunities for procurement of fast food; 109 (53.2%) were convenience stores and 12 (5.8%) supermarkets/grocery stores. Although a s imilar variety of regular breakfast and lunch/dinner entrées were available in traditional fast-food outlets and convenience stores, the variety of healthier breakfast and lunch/dinner entrées was significantly greater in fast food outlets. Compared with convenience stores, supermarkets/grocery stores provided a greater variety of regular and healthier entrées and lunch/dinner side dishes.ConclusionConvenience stores and supermarkets/grocery stores more than double the potential access to fast foods in this rural area than traditional fast-food outlets alone; however, traditional fast food outlets offer greater opportunity for healthier fast food options than convenience stores. A complete picture of fast food environment and the availability of healthier fast food options are essential to understand environmental influences on diet and health outcomes, and identify potential targets for intervention.
Highlights
Food prepared away from home has become increasingly popular to U.S families, and may contribute to obesity
At the time of the fast food survey, 11 stores were no longer in business, and 45 stores did not sell fast food items (34 convenience stores and 11 supermarket/grocery stores). This provided a final sample of 205 opportunities for the procurement of fast food: 84 (41%) fast food outlets, 109 (53.2%) convenience stores, and 12 (5.8%) supermarkets/grocery stores
Very few healthy options were available for breakfast sandwiches, tacos, or pastry
Summary
Food prepared away from home has become increasingly popular to U.S families, and may contribute to obesity. National chain affiliated fast-food outlets are considered the main source for fast food, fast foods are increasingly available in convenience stores and supermarkets/grocery stores. In rural areas, these nontraditional fast-food outlets may provide most of the opportunities for procurement of fast foods. Between 1977 and 1996, a dramatic shift in food sources in the U.S was observed that reflected a significant increase in calories consumed from away-from-home versus home-prepared food.[1] Trends indicate that more Americans eat out, and today, almost 50% of the U.S food dollar is spent at full-service and fast food restaurants[2,3]. Meals purchased away from home are playing an increasingly important role in the amount and type of foods consumed [1,4]. Increased consumption of fast food is associated with lower intake of fruits and vegetables, increased body weight, increased intake of carbonated beverages, and lower consumption of milk and grains[8,17,19,20]
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