Skip the fast food drive-thru

Burger King’s Bacon King serves up 1,147 calories, 79 grams fat, 30 g saturated fat and 2,153 milligrams sodium. That’s more total fat, saturated fat and sodium than you should have in a day — and you haven’t had fries or a soda yet! You can find the same kind of health-destroying excess on the menus at scores of other fast food places, but most of us don’t realize just how overstuffed with calories, fat and sodium this food is.

A new study published in BMJ found that adults’ fast food orders at McDonald’s, Burger King, Subway, Wendy’s, KFC and Dunkin’ Donuts averaged 836 calories, but they thought they dished up around 660. And teens were even more in the dark. While their orders averaged 756 calories, they thought they only contained around 500 calories.

A whopping 45% of 20- to 39-year-olds and almost 38% of folks 40 to 59 eat fast food on any given day. If that’s you, it’s time to get hip to what’s packing fat on your hips and belly, plaque in your arteries and inflammation in your joints.

The Food and Drug Administration requires large restaurants chains to post calorie counts on their menus and make info about total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrates, sugars, fiber and protein available. So slow down enough to look into what you’re about to put in your mouth — and ask yourself if you want to take the fast-food track to obesity, heart disease, dementia and other chronic conditions. Then drive on through without stopping.

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into “The Dr. Oz Show” or visit www.sharecare.com.