85 Million Americans Eat Fast Food Every Day, New Study Reveals

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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — America loves fast food and a new study reveals just how often it's consumed by them. About 85 million Americans eat fast food on any given day.

The CDC released new figures in the first federal study of its kind Wednesday. The report by the Centers for Disease Control shows about a third of American adults eat fast food on any given day.

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Prior research found around 40 percent of the money families spend on food is for eating out.

"Fast food consumption has been a part of the American diet for a while," says Kirsten Herrick one of the researchers of the study from National Center for Health Statistics.

"With today's busy lifestyle, fast food is an easy option that people choose," Herrick adds.

There were mixed reactions at Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market.

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"Homemade food's better than fast food in my opinion," says one person.

The report says men are more likely than women to buy fast food at lunch.

Uber driver Sam Braccero tries to eat healthy, but every so often indulges in a cheeseburger.

"That's our culture, we solve everything with eating. When we're happy we eat, when we're sad we eat," explains Braccero.

Another recent study found children are eating fast food more frequently.

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"I think it's a time thing, a convenience thing not having to take all the steps to cook at home. Makes it approachable and easy to feed on the go," he adds.

Researchers found higher-income families ate fast food more often than poor people and younger Americans are more likely than older people to eat fast food on a daily basis.

Health officials said too much high-calorie fast food can lead to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other health issues.