Most Americans Oppose Fast Food Sales In Hospitals

Fast nutrient for illustration cheeseburgers, fried chicken, and pizza shouldn't beryllium sold successful hospitals, opportunity astir Americans successful a new Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine/Morning Consult poll. The canvass comes arsenic a caller study from nan Physicians Committee-a wellness defense nonprofit pinch 17,000 expert members-finds that Chick-fil-A is located successful astatine slightest 20 U.S. hospitals aliases aesculapian centers.

When asked, "Do you judge accelerated food-such arsenic fried chicken, cheeseburgers, aliases pizza-should beryllium sold in hospitals to patients, visitors, and staff?" 52% of respondents said "no," and 57% said that hospitals should not profit from accelerated nutrient sold connected their premises. Most respondents, 85%, agreed that these foods do not beforehand bully health. The canvass was conducted July 1 to 3, 2025, among 2,202 U.S. adults.

A caller report from nan Physicians Committee finds that Chick-fil-A is located successful astatine slightest 20 U.S. hospitals or medical centers, according to nan fast-food restaurant's website.

"While galore group see chickenhearted to beryllium a healthier action than reddish meat, consuming chickenhearted tin summation cholesterin conscionable arsenic overmuch arsenic eating reddish meat," says Anna Herby, DHSc, RD, CDCES, who is nan nutrition acquisition master for nan Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and oversees nan organization's Healthy Hospital Program. "Hospital staff, visitors, and patients would use by choosing much chickpeas and different plant-based foods alternatively of chicken."

Consuming chickenhearted has been linked to higher crab risk, and consuming fried chickenhearted is linked to higher consequence of bosom disease. Earlier this year, a study found that eating 300 grams of poultry-about nan size of a ample chickenhearted breast-per week was linked to an accrued consequence of gastrointestinal crab and decease from each causes. A study published in BMJ found that women who ate fried chickenhearted erstwhile aliases much per time had a 13% higher consequence of decease from immoderate origin compared pinch women who did not eat immoderate fried nutrient and a 12% accrued consequence of decease from bosom disease.

In 2017, nan American Medical Association adopted a resolution calling connected hospitals to supply plant-based meals and region processed meats, specified arsenic chickenhearted nuggets, from menus.

Hospitals should group an illustration by ensuring that their restaurants service much paper items that are cholesterol-free, debased successful saturated fat, and precocious successful fiber-rich vegetables, grains, beans, and fruit. Meals for illustration these person been shown to thief forestall aliases amended nan chronic diseases that bring group to nan hospital."

Dr. Anna Herby, DHSc, RD, CDCES, nutrition acquisition specialist, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

The Physicians Committee's Healthy Hospital Program offers free resources to support institutions that want to make much plant-based options disposable to patients. With plant-based paper items, inpatient acquisition tools, and printable recipes, patients will beryllium empowered to return power of their wellness during their infirmary enactment and beyond.