Children and teenagers get an average 12.4 percent of their daily calories from fast food, said the National Center for Health Statistics, a part of the CDC. In a data brief, the agency said that in the two-year period it studied, teenagers consumed nearly 17 percent of their calories as fast food, compared to less than 9 percent for children aged from 2-11. The data brief covered 2011 and 2012. “From 1994 through 2006, caloric intake from fast food increased from 10 percent to 13 percent among children aged 2-18 years,” said NCHS. The researchers said fast food has been associated with weight gain and poorer diet quality.
A clinical dietitian at Texas Children’s Hospital told USA Today that the report showed children eat the equivalent of a small fast-food hamburger every day. The American Academy of Pediatricians credited clever marketing for drawing in customers.