We Underestimate Our Caloric Intake During Fast Food
Author: Victoria Aly
Time for reading: ~0
minutes
Last Updated:
August 08, 2022
In this article, learn more about We Underestimate Our Caloric Intake During Fast Food. They cannot make an informed decision about their health..
A study conducted by researchers at Harvard University shows that people tend to underestimate their caloric intake when eating in fast-food restaurants. ¼ of the participants make a mistake for their caloric intake with 500 or more kilocalories.
The error depends on the age group and the establishment. The worst performers are teenagers who eat at Subway, who think they eat 34% fewer calories.
The study, published in the Journal of the British Medical Association, was conducted in 2010 and 2011 among 3,400 adults, teens and children in 89 restaurants Subway , MacDonald's , Burger King , KFC, Wendy's and Dunkin Donuts .
The results show that a portion for adults contains an average of 836 kcal, but also that customers believe that it is 175 kcal less. The biggest discrepancy is among teenagers - they consume an average of 756 kcal, and believe that they consumed only 497. What surprises researchers is that the difference varies for customers of different restaurants.
None of the restaurant chains displays information about the energy content of their products in a visible and accessible place. Researchers fear that customers cannot make an informed decision about their diet and that this could affect their health.
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