拥有最多不健康顾客的快餐连锁店

很多快餐食品属于垃圾食品之列，多吃快餐的人会出现健康问题。这是我们已经获得的共识。我们同时也知道，很多人有健康问题，是来自于不健康的饮食习惯。那么，到底是习惯在先还是食品使用在先？

孩子很小的时候，多数的喜欢吃快餐食品，特别是味道比较适合孩子口味的炸薯条。于是乎，就从这个小小的炸薯条开始，很多孩子被吸引，被培养习惯，结果就是长大成人之后对快餐食品的上瘾。在了这时候，在大家已经注意到健康问题的时候，很多人恐怕已经是欲罢不能了。

所以，如果你不希望你的孩子长大之后有因为饮食习惯而产生的健康隐患，那么，从小时候开始，就给他们培养习惯，让他们的胃对快餐垃圾食品产生自然的反感，恐怕就是最值得做的事情了。

当然，人的生活环境，很多时候还是和自己的经济条件紧密相关。很多普通的美国人，平时工作忙，也不会做中国式的美食，同时还需要能量很高的食品，结果，除了麦当劳式的垃圾食品，他们也没有太多的选择。那就是另外一个话题了。虽然，他事实上也还是有很多的选择，只是他在找借口不想改变自己已经形成的习惯罢了。

即使是在那无数的没完没了的警告之后，人们依然是喜爱快餐食品，这从麦当劳带给投资者优良的回报不难看出。但是，同时，就是这些通过投资获得经济利益的普通人，也在同时用自己的投资对象，来损害自己和自己孩子的健康。

下面这篇文章，告诉你一个有趣的信息：到底是垃圾食品在产生不健康的消费者，还是不健康的顾客，按照物以类聚的自然规律，在靠近着这些提供垃圾食品的快餐店？如果问题的关键是后者，那么，只要需求存在，只要有喜爱的消费者，即使你提供再多的健康食品作为选择项，结果，对于改善美国普通民众的饮食健康，估计效果也不会太好。

Fast-Food Chains with the Most Unhealthy Customers

Posted: March 23, 2012 at 6:38 am

While most Americans are happy with their family, friends and home life, more than one in five Americans are unhappy with their health. According to a new survey conducted by consumer-focused information site BIGinsight, those who frequent certain fast-food restaurants are even less happy with their health than the average American. 24/7 Wall St. examined the results of the survey to identify the fast-food chains with the most-unhealthy customers.

Customers of four of the eight largest fast-food restaurants report a higher rate of being either totally unhappy or somewhat unhappy with their health than the general population. Not surprisingly, the fast-food diners who are most unhappy with their health also report other relatively unhealthy habits. Customers of three of the four restaurants also report among the lowest rates of exercising regularly among all major fast-food chains. McDonald’s, whose customers are the most unhappy with their health, has the lowest rate customers who exercise regularly.

The four restaurants with the most-unhealthy customers also have the lowest rates of customers who watch their caloric intake. Three have among the lowest rates of customers watching their fat intakes. This behavior does not mix well with a diet that includes a number of fast-food meals.

However, not all fast-food restaurants have unhealthy customers. Chains where customers exhibit healthier behaviors, such as Arby’s, Chick-fil-A and Subway, have customers with above-average levels of happiness with their health. As Consumer Insights Director Pamela Goodfellow told 24/7 Wall St., “The difference between these consumer groups lies in what they do beyond the drive-thru: exercising, counting their calories, focusing on fat intake and watching their health in general.”

These are the fast-food chains with the most unhealthy customers.

4. Burger King
> Unhappy/totally unhappy customers: 21.5%
> Exercise regularly: 36.0%
> Watching calorie intake: 26.6%
> Watching fat intake: 32.4%
> Watching carbohydrate intake: 19.7%

The demographics of the diners who frequent Burger King are unique in two major ways. A majority of restaurant’s customers — 58.6% — are men, the highest of all fast food chains. Also, the restaurant is frequented by customers with the lowest average annual income among fast-food chains, at $52,958. Burger King’s customers watch their caloric intake the least among major fast-food chains, at just 26.6%. Only 32.4% of the restaurant’s customers watch their fat intake, the second lowest percentage. The company has made efforts to provide healthier menu items over the past year, as an attempt to expand its customer base. It continues to offer fattening classics, however, such as the 1,140-calorie Triple Whopper.

3. Wendy’s
> Unhappy/totally unhappy customers: 22.1%
> Exercise regularly: 40.2%
> Watching calorie intake: 37.2%
> Watching fat intake: 38.1%
> Watching carbohydrate intake: 25.4%

According to the report, 22.1% of Wendy’s (WEN) regular customers are either unhappy or very unhappy with their health. About 40% exercise regularly. The average household income of a frequent Wendy’s customer is $60,468, the second-highest of the eight major fast-food chains, behind only Chick-fil-A. Just 22.6% of the restaurant’s frequent customers are single adults, second-lowest behind Arby’s in this category. Wendy’s offers healthy choices, including apple slices and salads. Even the salads, however, can be unhealthy, with high sodium and saturated fat.

2. Taco Bell
> Unhappy/totally unhappy customers: 22.7%
> Exercise regularly: 40.3%
> Watching calorie intake: 33.9%
> Watching fat intake: 31.0%
> Watching carbohydrate intake: 19.0%

Taco Bell’s customers have the lowest rank in a number of health-related metrics measured by BIGinsight. Less than 31% of the customers report that they watch their fat intake, and only 19% watch their carbohydrate intake. The restaurant is second-worst when it comes to customers watching their calorie intake, as well as their salt/sodium intake. There are ways to eat healthily at Taco Bell. By ordering items “Fresco Style,” the sauce and cheese are exchanged for a “fiesta salsa.” Many items frequently considered healthy, such as salads, are among the restaurant’s highest-calorie items.

1. McDonald’s
> Unhappy/totally unhappy customers: 24%
> Exercise regularly: 34.8%
> Watching calorie intake: 34.1%
> Watching fat intake: 33.2%
> Watching carbohydrate intake: 21.7%

Except for Chick-fil-A, none of the fast-food restaurants skew so heavily female, with women representing 56% of the company’s regular customers. An alarming 24% of the chain’s frequent customers report being either unhappy or very unhappy with their health. Almost 30% of the restaurant’s regular customers report avoiding all the healthy habits measured by BIGinsight: watching calories, fat, salt or carbohydrate intake, or exercising regularly. This compares to 20% nationwide who report avoiding these healthy habits. McDonald’s ( MCD) has attempted to improve its image in recent years. It has begun automatically including apple slices and reducing the size of the fries in every happy meal.

Charles B. Stockdale