Can Eating Fast Food Help You Lose Weight?

When people are trying to slim down, they rarely think about hitting the drive through. But a number of fast food outlets are adding so-called "healthy options" to their menus. McDonald's has grilled chicken sandwiches. Wendy's has a variety of salads. Starbucks has reduced-calorie paninis. Subway is endorsed by successful contestants from The Biggest Loser, boasting that some of their sandwiches can be a key part of any weight-loss program. And even Taco Bell (which is more frequently associated with liquid cheese and slushy meat), now offers a "Fresco" menu of items with less fat.

The New York Times recently took a stab at this phenomenon ("Forget Jenny Craig. Hit the Drive-Thru"), and put these healthier menus to the nutritional test. Here's what they found...

As with most things, there's no consensus about the role of fast food as a dieting aid. Some acknowledged that fast food, in and of itself (and only once in a while), isn't inherently evil. (When we go out for a fancy restaurant meal, by the way, we're also often consuming huge amounts of salt and butter.) And some fast food meals, like bean burritos at Taco Bell, do offer necessary nutrients like fibre and protein.

But those positives are often outweighed by the amount of sodium and the cumulative fat in these products. (And you're likely not getting good fats from a fast food meal -- even if they claim that there are no trans-fats, saturated fats continue to be a big concern.) Recent studies have indicated that lowering the amount of sodium we consume by even a small amount can lower the risk of heart disease and stroke. Plus, there are major questions about just how honest processors are about the nutritional information of their food, as studies have shown that they often grossly underestimate calories.

So what's the answer? Be honest with yourself about what you're eating. These new "lite" options are probably healthier than your standard, grossly unhealthy fast food meals, but don't be fooled into thinking you should make them a regular part of your diet. These healthier options are still part of the bad-fat, high-sodium machines that spit out mostly synthetic convenience foods at a frightening rate. Treating yourself to some fast food every now and then isn't going to kill you -- but if you're really concerned about your weight and health, you should focus on getting real, whole foods into your mouth as often as possible.