However, a 9-year case study followed by 4 years of analysis has just been released, and may inspire you to choose the healthier quick-food route, such as a salad or vegetable filled meal. 

This new study ultimately showed that for every single fast food meal consumed, a person’s BMI increases by up to .03. Now, although the effectiveness of the measurements of the BMI scale is debatable, this is still a shocking realization. 

Essentially, this study analyzed the data of 25 countries number of fast-food transactions from 1999 to 2008, and compared them with the average BMIs in those same countries over that same period of time, in order to look for any correlations. The team discovered that the average BMI increased .033 for every increased unit of fast-food transactions. Not only can one fast food meal cause this drastic BMI spike, but it can also impact your arteries, making them more sluggish with every high-fat and high calorie meal.

 However, the biggest proved correlation the team discovered was that, overall, the richer the country was, the more of its people were eating out and on the go, and were thus also walking less, causing the BMI spike to likely transfer over into fat, which leads to weight gain and disease. 

Sources: Glamour