Table 2.
Characteristics of participants’ meals purchased at fast food restaurant chains in four cities in New England, US, 2010 and 2011, included in study of consumers’ estimates of calorie content of meals. Figures are numbers (percentage) unless stated otherwise
| Adults (n=1877) | Adolescents (n=1178) | School age children (n=330) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurant chain: | |||
| McDonald’s | 606 (32) | 524 (44) | 144 (44) |
| Burger King | 530 (28) | 268 (23) | 102 (31) |
| Subway | 345 (18) | 115 (10) | 26 (8) |
| KFC | 195 (10) | — | 35 (11) |
| Wendy’s | 201 (11) | 120 (10) | 23 (7) |
| Dunkin’ Donuts | — | 151 (13) | — |
| Calorie* content of meals: | |||
| Mean (SD; range) actual content | 836 (465; 0-3410) | 756 (455; 0-2980) | 733 (359; 94-2170) |
| Median (IQR) actual content | 790 (480, 1130) | 698 (406, 1070) | 670 (510, 920) |
| Mean (SD; range) estimated content | 649 (622; 0-3600) | 490 (521; 0-3883) | 562 (569; 0-4000) |
| Median (IQR) estimated content | 500 (200-950) | 300 (120-650) | 400 (200-800) |
| Difference between estimated and actual calorie content: | |||
| Mean (SD, range) | −175 (637, −2410-2672) | −259 (551, −2380-2945) | −175 (590, −2060-2750) |
| Median (IQR) | −190 (−550-80) | −260 (−555-−30) | −220 (−470-40) |
*1 calorie =4.18 kJ.