According to NIH news, young adults who eat frequently at fast-food restaurants gain more weight and have a greater increase in insulin resistance in early middle age, according to a large multi-center study funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and published in the January 1 issue of The Lancet.Fast-food consumption has increased in the United States over the past three decades. More and more families do not eat dinner at home, instead they go out to dinner almst everynight.Calories add up very fast when eating fast food. A person may not realize how many calories they are gettin, in just one meal. One reason for the weight gain may be that a single meal from one of these restaurants often contains enough calories to satisfy a person’s caloric requirement for an entire day.According to a study, men visited fast-food restaurants more frequently than women and blacks more frequently than whites. Black men reported an average frequency of 2.3 visits per week in 2000-2001. White women had the lowest frequency, at an average of 1.3 visits per week in 2000-2001. Wei, a writer for NIH says,"Keep portion sizes small, and ask that high-fat sauces and condiments, such as salad dressing and mayonnaise, be “on the side” and use them sparingly to reduce calories,."

Horn, Linda, and David Ludwig. "NIHnews.com." National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. The Lancet, 12/30/04. Web. 15 Apr 2010. http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/dec2004/nhlbi-30.htm.

I agree with NIH. We really don't know how many calories we take in when just eating one hamburger. I know that my family eats out alot more then we used to because we are so busy and there are so many fast food places out there with a lot of selections. With the dressings and side sauces your calorie intake can go up alot and you will not even realize it. Thats why I always stick to getting the lite on everything I can!