No, poor people don’t eat the most fast food
Jay L. Zagorsky and Patricia Smith, CNN
This study breaks down stereotypes about low-income consumption habits and illuminates causes behind fast food consumption that may lead to more effective solutions. For instance, the study found that those who read ingredients on their food are less likely to eat fast food. Those who work higher hours are more likely to eat fast food. Increased availability and convenience of healthy foods emerges as a lynchpin for reducing consumption of fast foods and consequential health impacts. CFFPs partnership with Craft3 has opened avenues to invest in exactly those types of opportunities, such as local healthy food trucks.
It is a common perception that a disproportionate number of overweight Americans are low-income because low-income groups consume more fast food, being that it’s “cheaper” than healthy food. This has resulted in policies regulating access to fast food in low-income communities, educational campaigns targeting schools in low-income communities about behavioral changes towards healthier eating habits, and more. However, a recent study by the authors reveals that “we’re all loving it”: 73.6% of top earners stated they had eaten fast food in the last seven days, and 85% of middle-income respondents stated the same. Surprisingly, about 80.6% of the poorest respondents reported eating fast food in the last week. While a high percentage Americans reported consuming fast food, middle-income consumers – not low-income consumers – were the largest demographic.
As part of its own research, CFFP regularly illuminates educative research, media, and resources related to our work. This page contains public versions of our synopses.