Fast Food Consumption and Dietary Impacts
Summary
Fast food consumption has risen sharply over recent decades, driven by urbanisation, changing labour patterns and the proliferation of quick-service outlets. Characterised by high energy density, elevated amounts of saturated fats, free sugars and sodium, fast food often displaces more nutrient-dense home-prepared meals and fresh produce. Epidemiological evidence links frequent intake of fast food with increased body mass index, central adiposity, dyslipidaemia and impaired glucose regulation, thereby heightening cardiometabolic risk. The global expansion of multinational chains has also influenced dietary habits in low- and middle-income countries, where nutritional transitions intersect with socioeconomic and cultural factors. Policymakers and public health practitioners have responded with regulatory and educational interventions, including menu calorie labelling, reformulation targets and portion-size controls, in an effort to moderate energy intake and improve diet quality at the population level.
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Fast Food Consumption and Dietary Impacts publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in fast food consumption and dietary impacts across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Fast food: Ready-to-eat or quickly prepared meals, typically energy-dense and nutrient-poor, sold by outlets accessible to the general public.
Out-of-home meals (FAFH): Foods prepared and consumed away from home, including restaurant dining, take-away and delivery.
Body mass index (BMI): A weight-for-height index (kg/m2) used to classify underweight, normal weight, overweight and obesity in adults.
Cardiometabolic risk factors: Biological markers and clinical measures (for example, blood lipids, blood pressure, insulin sensitivity) that predict cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
Calorie labelling: The practice of displaying energy content information on menus or packaging to inform consumer choices and encourage reformulation by retailers.
References
- Effect of calorie labelling in the out-of-home food sector on adult obesity prevalence, cardiovascular mortality, and social inequalities in England: a modelling study. The Lancet Public Health (2024).
- Evaluation of Junk Food Consumption and the Risk Related to Consumer Health among the Romanian Population. Nutrients (2023).
- The impact of interventions to promote healthier ready‐to‐eat meals (to eat in, to take away or to be delivered) sold by specific food outlets open to the general public: a systematic review. Obesity Reviews (2016).
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