Fast food is a mainstay of the American diet. In fact, in any given day, 1 in 4 of us fills our stomachs at a fast-food chain. What does this mean to our health? America is the fattest nation in the world, with 61 percent of adults and children weighing in at overweight or obese, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.
Like our bellies, the fast-food phenomenon is growing too: we plunked down $3 billion on the speedy burgers, fries, and tacos in 1992, and today that number tops a whopping $110 billion. In 2004, Morgan Spurlock chronicled his experience of eating solely fast food for one month in his Academy Award-nominated documentary Super Size Me. The filmmaker gained 25 pounds and put his health in jeopardy, according to a panel of doctors. (Next up for this one-month fast-food junkie: His one-hour TV reality show 30 Days, which premiered June 15th on the cable channel FX. In the series, an individual takes up a completely different lifestyle -- whether religious, economic, or ethnic -- for 30 days.)
In the meantime, here are some bite-size nuggets of info about fast food that can help you navigate the counters:
Fact or fiction: Taco Bell hot sauce can clean dirty pennies.
Fact: Apparently this condiment can reinstate shine to your small change. But before you opt for south of the border fare without flair, consider this: Two of the product's ingredients, vinegar and salt, in combination seem to cause a reaction that cleans the pennies. The product itself is safe to ingest.
Fact or fiction: French fries are the most commonly consumed vegetable in America.
Fact: But you'll be much healthier if you start piling your plate with dark, leafy greens or sweet potatoes instead。