Document Type
Review
Publication Date
11-1-2016
Description
The fast-food (FF) industry and obesity rates have rapidly increased in China. This study examined the FF industry growth in China, key factors contributing to the growth, and the association between FF consumption (FFC) and obesity. We collected related data from multiple sources and conducted analysis including linear regression analysis on the increase in FF revenue. It was found that FF industry in China is large, with over two million FF facilities. Its total revenue (in million US$) increased from 10,464 in 1999 to 94,218 in 2013, and by 13% annually since 2008. Increased income, urbanization, busier lifestyle, speedy FF service, assurance of food safety, new brands and foods have stimulated demand for FF. Studies have linked FFC with obesity risk, including a few reporting a positive association between FFC and obesity in China. Rapid expansion of Western-style FF restaurants has also stimulated local FF industry growth. Government regulation and public health education need to address the health consequences of rapidly increasing FFC. Lessons learned in China will help other countries.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Citation Information
Wang, Youfa; Wang, Liang; Xue, Hong; and Qu, Weidong. 2016. A Review of the Growth of the Fast Food Industry in China and Its Potential Impact on Obesity. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Vol.13(11). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph13111112 PMID: 27834887 ISSN: 1661-7827
Copyright Statement
© 2016 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).