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
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
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.
