The Skinny on Obesity Rates and Fast Food Restaurants in the United States, 2023

The authors examine what, if any, role the number of fast-food restaurants per capita plays in explaining the variation of obesity rates across the United States in 2023. Apart from the presence of seven different popular fast-food chains in America, the analysis employs census regional dummy variables to gauge how obesity rates vary after the number of restaurants per capita has been allowed for. Obesity rates are directly related to the number of Subway, Taco Bell, Burger King, and Wendy’s restaurants per capita, while obesity rates are inversely related to the number of Chipotle restaurants per capita. Among census regions, obesity rates are highest in the South and Midwest.