Most Americans travel further for fast food than they do for groceries. A new study from Northeastern University, the University of Southern California, and MIT reveals that the average distance traveled to a fast-food restaurant is 4.3 miles, compared to just 2 miles for grocery shopping. This suggests that our daily commutes and errands significantly influence our fast-food consumption.
Headshot of Esteban Moro, a professor at Northeastern University's Network Science Institute.
Researchers analyzed mobility data from 62 million people across 11 U.S. cities, tracking their visits to fast-food establishments. Surprisingly, socioeconomic demographics did not play a significant role in fast-food consumption. Instead, the study found a strong correlation between exposure to fast-food outlets and the likelihood of choosing fast food. Specifically, being in an area with 10% more fast-food restaurants increased the probability of eating fast food by a substantial 20%. This highlights the powerful influence of readily available fast food options on our dietary choices.
Traditional approaches to improving food choices, such as eliminating “food deserts” (areas with limited access to healthy food) or restricting fast-food locations in residential neighborhoods, have proven largely ineffective. This is because they fail to address the significant impact of our daily movements and exposure to fast food outside of our immediate neighborhoods.
The study suggests a new strategy: target interventions in locations where people frequently make food decisions, fast-food options are abundant, and individuals are more susceptible to environmental influences. Examples include airports, shopping malls, office parks, and other transportation hubs. These are places where people are often on the go, surrounded by fast-food options, and have limited healthier alternatives. By focusing on these “optimal locations,” interventions could be two to four times more effective in reducing unhealthy food consumption compared to traditional neighborhood-based approaches. This shift in focus recognizes that everyone is susceptible to the convenience and availability of Fast Food Nearby, and strategically placed interventions can make a real difference in promoting healthier choices.
