Nearly 70% Of U.S. Hospitals Associated With A Medical School Have At Least One Fast-Food Restaurant, A Potential Hazard To The Health Of Patients
People from other countries are often under the impression that Americans have a great obsession with junk food. You can see why they might make that assumption since fast food joints are pretty much everywhere in the United States—even in hospitals!
According to researchers with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, there is at least one fast-food restaurant inside the facilities of almost 70 percent of U.S. hospitals associated with a medical school.
Initially, a study from 2006 reported that 63 percent of hospitals affiliated with medical schools had fast-food restaurants on their properties.
As you can see, that percentage has clearly grown over the years. In hospitals, the five most common fast food eateries are Subway, Starbucks, Au Bon Pain, Chick-fil-A, and McDonald’s.
“Making fast food like cheeseburgers and fried chicken available in hospitals is hazardous to the health of patients, visitors, and staff,” Dr. Zeeshan Ali, the lead author of the study and a nutrition program specialist with the Physicians Committee, said. “Hospitals are places of healing, and any food served in hospitals should help reinforce that message with plenty of healthful meals focused on fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans.”
Eating fast food increases the risk of developing heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. If consumed four times per week, the risk of heart disease is elevated by up to 80 percent.
According to the researchers, the presence of fast food restaurants in hospitals directly conflicts with the message for patients to eat more healthily.
In the past, research has shown that families visiting the hospital were more likely to buy McDonald’s if it was available in the hospital. Additionally, they are four times more likely to consume junk food on the day of the appointment.
The researchers had medical students from 192 medical and osteopathic schools complete online surveys about the fast food restaurants in the hospitals where they rotated during their training. A list of common fast-food chains was provided, and the students were allowed to add any others that were present.
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A total of 255 students from 146 schools completed the surveys. At least one fast-food restaurant was housed in 101 out of 146 schools.
Over half of the students strongly or somewhat disagreed with having fast food eateries in hospitals. Burger King, KFC, Pizza Hut, and Wendy’s were among the 38 fast-food chains found most frequently in hospitals.
The American Medical Association advised healthcare facilities to improve nutrition standards in 2017 by offering more healthy meals, advertising healthier beverages, and removing processed meats from menus.
The study authors are now encouraging fast food chains to adopt the same practices, or they recommend doing away with them altogether in hospitals.
“Hospitals should be setting the standard when it comes to good nutrition and should house restaurants that reinforce the message that foods that are low in saturated fat, cholesterol-free, and high in fiber are the healthiest options for patients, staff, and visitors,” said Dr. Roxanne Becker, a co-author of the study and a member of the Physicians Committee.
The study was published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine.
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