Bigger, saltier, heavier: how fast food has changed over 30 years

FAST-FOOD chains have tried for years to woo health-conscious diners by mixing lighter fare such as salads and yoghurt with the usual burgers, fried chicken and shakes.

But as menus swelled over the past three decades, many options grew in size and the calories and sodium in them surged, according to a new study from researchers at Boston University and Tufts.

The researchers studied 1787 entrées, sides and desserts at 10 chains from 1986 to 2016. In that time, the number of items in those three categories rose 226%.

According to the study – published recently in The Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics – even with lighter items in the mix, fast-food menus are less healthy than they were 30 years ago.

The fat and salt content and the sheer size of fast-food meals have long been a public health concern. They are often blamed for pushing up the obesity rate among adults in the US.

The new study suggests the problem is getting worse.

Across the fast-food restaurants, the researchers found, the average entrée weighed 39g more in 2016 than in 1986 and had 90 more calories. It also had 41.6% of the recommended daily allotment of sodium, up from 27.8%.

In 2016, the average fast-food dessert weighed an extra 71g and had 186 more calories than the average dessert 30 years earlier, the researchers found.

The researchers found that there were 42 more calories on average in items such as chips, soups and French fries in 2016 than there were in 1986. Sodium content rose to 23.2% of the recommended daily allotment from 11.6%.

Consumed together as a single meal, the study found, the average entrée and side account for nearly 40% of a 2000-calorie daily diet.

The study mentions proposals meant to help consumers scale back their fast food intake, including a system that would let them order smaller portions at lower prices.

Whether the industry will embrace such ideas is unclear. In the meantime, menus continue to grow, sometimes blurring the line between entrée and side.