title: Fast-food consumption and obesity among Michigan adults.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Consumption of meals eaten away from home, especially from fast-food restaurants, has increased in the United States since the 1970s. The main objective of this study was to examine the frequency and characteristics of fast-food consumption among adults in Michigan and obesity prevalence.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed data from 12 questions about fast-food consumption that were included on the 2005 Michigan Behavioral Risk Factor Survey, a population-based telephone survey of Michigan adults, using univariate and bivariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression, and compared these data with data on Michigan obesity prevalence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Approximately 80% of Michigan adults went to fast-food restaurants at least once per month and 28% went regularly (≥2 times/wk). Regular fast-food consumption was higher among younger adults (mostly men) but was not significantly associated with household income, education, race, or urbanicity (in a multivariate framework). The prevalence of obesity increased consistently with frequenting fast-food restaurants, from 24% of those going less than once a week to 33% of those going 3 or more times per week. The predominant reason for choosing fast food was convenience. Although hypothetically 68% of adults who go to fast-food restaurants would choose healthier fast-food items when available, only 16% said they ever use nutritional information when ordering.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of fast-food consumption is high in Michigan across education, income, and racial groups and is strongly associated with obesity. Making nutritional information at fast-food restaurants more readily available and easier to use may help consumers to order more healthful or lower-calorie items.
authors.affiliation: Michigan Department of Community Health, 201 Townsend, , Lansing, MI 48909, USA. andersonb@michigan.gov
authors.forename: Beth
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Ann P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Rafferty
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lyon-Callo
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fussman
authors.forename: Gwendoline
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Imes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D057140:Fast Foods / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008824:Michigan / Q000453:epidemiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires