Study Reveals America’s Most Unhealthy Fast Food Burgers

In a recent study conducted by PlushCare, an online healthcare platform, the most unhealthy fast food burgers in America have been identified. The study analyzed various menu items from popular fast food chains, focusing on their nutritional content and potential health impacts.

According to the study, Five Guys emerged as the chain offering the unhealthiest cheeseburger, scoring a staggering 50 points on PlushCare’s unhealthiness scale. The burger’s nutritional profile was particularly concerning:

• It contained 73% more saturated fat than any other fast food cheeseburger in the study.
• Five Guys’ fries also ranked as the unhealthiest, scoring 28 points.

And not only that but Five Guys also has the unhealthiest fries.

Other Notable Offenders

Following Five Guys, other chains that ranked high on the unhealthiness scale include:

1. Whataburger: Jalapeno & Cheese Whataburger
2. Smash Burger: The Classic Smash
3. Carl’s Jr.: Famous Star W/Cheese
4. Sonic Cheeseburger
5. Wendy’s: Dave’s Single
6. Shake Shack: Single Cheeseburger
7. Fat Burger: Medium “Original” Fat Burger
8. Steak & Shake: Single W/ Cheese
9. In-N-Out: Cheeseburger W/Onion
10. DQ: Original Cheeseburger

Methodology

PlushCare’s research team employed the following process to evaluate the nutritional content of comparable menu items across major U.S. fast-food chains:

1. Product Selection: The study identified five standard items for comparison:
   • Cheeseburger
   • Chicken sandwich
   • Standard serving of fries
   • Regular vanilla milkshake
   • 10-piece chicken nuggets
2. Chain Selection and Menu Analysis: The study examined menus from 24 popular fast-food chains, including In-N-Out, Burger King, McDonald’s, Shake Shack, Wendy’s, and others. For each chain, they selected the closest equivalent to our standard items.
3. Data Collection: Using the official nutritional information provided by each restaurant, they recorded four key metrics for each product:
   • Calorie content (in kilojoules)
   • Sugar content (in grams)
   • Saturated fat content (in grams)
   • Sodium content (in milligrams)
4. Nutritional Scoring: They applied the Department of Health’s nutrient profiling method to assess each item’s relative unhealthiness. This system assigns points based on the quantity of each nutritional component, resulting in an overall “unhealthiness score.” The formula used was: Total nutrient points = (energy points) + (saturated fat points) + (sugar points) + (sodium points) Points were allocated according to a standardized scale, with higher quantities of each component resulting in a higher score and thus indicating a less healthy option.

The factors considered in the analysis were:

• Calorie content
• Sugar levels
• Saturated fat content
• Sodium content

Surprising Findings

Interestingly, some well-known chains performed better than expected:

• Burger King and McDonald’s tied for the second-lowest unhealthiness scores, each receiving just 18 points.
• Their cheeseburgers contain only a quarter of the saturated fat found in a Five Guys cheeseburger.
• Wendy’s burgers had less than half the saturated fat of Five Guys.
• Culver’s ranked as the healthiest option, with a score of 17 points.

Beyond Burgers: Chicken Sandwiches

The study also examined chicken sandwiches:

• Popeyes’ popular chicken sandwich was deemed the unhealthiest, scoring 39 points.
• McDonald’s McChicken was rated the healthiest, with only 14 points.
• Burger King and KFC’s offerings scored 31 and 27 points, respectively.

PlushCare stated, “Ultimately, healthy eating comes down to taking control of what you eat. That might mean avoiding fast food altogether, but it can be as simple as making an informed decision about which fast-food chains to visit and which of their products to choose.”

While it’s generally advisable to limit fast food consumption for optimal health, when indulging, choosing options from chains with lower unhealthiness scores could be a step towards a more balanced diet.

The key to maintaining good health is making informed choices about your food intake and balancing it with an overall healthy lifestyle.