Little change seen in fast food portion size, product formulation between 1996 and 2013

Two new reports from researchers at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University show little change in fast food portion sizes and product formulation between 1996 and 2013. Led by Alice H. Lichtenstein, D.Sc., director of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory at the USDA HNRCA, the researchers analyzed the calorie, sodium, saturated fat and trans fat content of popular menu items served at three national fast-food chains between 1996 and 2013. They found that average calories, sodium, and saturated fat stayed relatively constant, albeit at high levels. The exception was a consistent decline in the trans fat of fries. The studies published in Preventing Chronic Disease, a journal of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.