Although fast-food chains have a reputation for being cheap, it is higher earning, middle-class families that are driving junk food consumption, a US study has discovered.
A new study by the UC Davis, the University of California, found that links between lower classes and fast food aren't as direct as is widely believed.
In fact, researchers discovered that the opposite was true. The study found that the higher the household's income, the more visits a family were likely make to fast-food restaurants like McDonald's and Burger King.
"There's a strong correlation between income and obesity," says Professor Paul Leigh from the study. "And so people say, 'Oh well, it's the fast-food restaurants that are causing obesity among the poor', but that's not true."
The study investigated the dining habits of 5,000 Americans to try and discover what was causing the soaring obesity rates among the poor. It was here that researchers discovered the close link between higher-earning families and the number of visits paid to fast-food chains.
However, interestingly, when the household income increased even higher, eating at fast-food joints dropped out of favour, with families choosing sit-down restaurants over drive-throughs.
Researchers also noted that although fast-food restaurants have a reputation for being a 'cheap eats' option, a steady fast-food diet is, in fact, largely out of reach for financially challenged families, as it now costs around $28 (£17.44) to feed a family of four.
Professor Leigh wants to encourage public health experts to examine other causes of obesity in lower classes, rather than point the blame at McDonald's.
"To focus on fast-food restaurants as the sole cause of obesity is incorrect," warns Professor Leigh. "I just want us to be rational and realistic about how we can approach the obesity epidemic, especially among the poor," he added, as he went on to explain that cheap price junk food in supermarkets could be a key player.
The study also discovered that educated people were more likely to go to full-serviced restaurants while smokers ate in fast-food restaurants most often and men ate out more often than women.