Higher Obesity Rates Among Poorer People Not Associated With Fast-Food Dining

U.S. and Korean researchers have found that fast-food dining is not the reason for higher rates of obesity among people with lower incomes. In fact, the study found that eating out – either at fast-food or full-services establishments – becomes more common as income rises. Middle income people, who have lower rates of obesity and are attracted to fast-food restaurants for a variety reasons, increased their visits as their annual household income approaches $60,000. When  income increased beyond that level, fast-food visits decreased. Eating at full-service restaurants, where there is a range of food choices and sit-down service, followed a predictable pattern: as income rose, visits increased. The researchers used survey data from nearly 5,000 people in the U.S.