Eight in 10 Americans report eating at fast-food restaurants at least monthly, with almost half saying they eat fast food at least weekly.
Only 4% say they never eat at fast-food restaurants.
But slightly fewer Americans eat fast food weekly now than did so in 2006, when Gallup last asked about it.
How often do Americans eat fast food?
![How often, if ever, do you eat at fast food restaurants, including drive-thru, take-out, and sitting down in restaurant - every day, several times a week, about once a week, once or twice a month, a few times a year, or never. Source: Gallup How often, if ever, do you eat at fast food restaurants, including drive-thru, take-out, and sitting down in restaurant - every day, several times a week, about once a week, once or twice a month, a few times a year, or never. Source: Gallup](https://media.potatopro.com/gallup_frequency_fasfood_consumption_americans.jpg?width=809)
How often, if ever, do you eat at fast food restaurants, including drive-thru, take-out, and sitting down in restaurant - every day, several times a week, about once a week, once or twice a month, a few times a year, or never. Source: Gallup
These findings come from Gallup's annual Consumption poll, conducted July 10-14, 2013, and seem to suggest that many Americans are reducing, but not totally eliminating, their fast-food intake.
Fast food has long been a staple of many Americans' diets, but widespread concerns related to the nutritional value of the food linger. On that point, 76% in the U.S. think the food served in fast-food restaurants is "not too good"or "not good at all for you,"the same percentage who said so in 2003.
Twenty-eight percent say the food is "not good at all for you."Fewer, 20%, believe food purchased at fast-food restaurants is "fairly good for you,"while 2% say it is "very good for you."
Who eats fastfood most often?
![Frequency of eating fast food , among select groups. Source: Gallup Frequency of eating fast food , among select groups. Source: Gallup](https://media.potatopro.com/gallup_frequency_among_select_groups.jpg?width=809)
Frequency of eating fast food , among select groups. Source: Gallup
Young adults -- those aged 18 to 29 -- eat fast food most often, with 57% saying they do so at least weekly. Fast-food consumption declines with age;the percentage who say they eat it at least weekly drops to 47% for those aged 30 to 49, 44% for those aged 50 to 64, and 41% among those aged 65 and older.
Men are more likely than women to eat fast food at least weekly -- 53% vs. 42%. Men aged 18 to 49 in particular eat fast food at least weekly, at 57%.
Across racial and ethnic groups, blacks and Hispanics eat fast food most often, with 52% and 53%, respectively, eating it at least weekly. Less than half of non-Hispanic whites (46%) by comparison dine on fast food at least weekly.