Fast Food Hasn't Changed Much in 18 Years

There's been little change in fast food portion sizes, according to a new study. Scientists have taken a look at fast food portion sizes from 1996 and 2013 and found that calorie, sodium, saturated fat and trans fat content of popular menu items has stayed mostly constant.

"There is a perception that restaurants have significantly expanded their portion sizes over the years, but the fast food we assessed does not appear to be part of that trend," said Alice Lichtenstein, one of the researchers, in a news release. "Our analysis indicates relative consistency in the quantities of calories, saturated fat and sodium. However, the variability among chains is considerable and the levels are high for most of the individual menu items assessed, particularly for items frequently sold together as a meal, pushing the limits of what we should be eating to maintain a healthy weight and sodium intake."

As an example, calories in a large cheeseburger meal, which includes fries and a regular soda, ranged from 1,144 calories to 1,747 calories over the years and among restaurants. This represents about 57 percent to 88 percent of the approximately 2,000 calories that most people should eat per day.

In this latest study, the researchers focused on the four most popular menu items: fries, cheeseburgers, grilled chicken sandwiches, and regular cola. They looked at trends in portion size and nutrient content over 18 years. In the end, they found that there were only small fluctuations in calorie content, saturated fat content and sodium. The only notable exception was fries, which decreased first in saturated fat in 2001 and then trans fat; this is likely due to the changes to the frying fat.

The findings reveal a bit more about fast food trends. More specifically, it shows that fast food calorie content is still high and that healthier options should be used.

The findings are published in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease.

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