Most Americans Say Fast Food Doesn’t Belong in Hospitals

Amid ongoing conversations around nutrition and chronic disease prevention, new polling data revealed that most Americans do not believe fast food should be served in hospitals.¹

In the July 2025 survey of 2202 US adults by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) and Morning Consult, 85% of respondents agreed that fast food—including cheeseburgers, fried chicken, and pizza—does not promote good health.² This belief was held by most participants when asked about the role of hospitals in food service: 52% said fast food should not be sold in hospitals, and even more (57%) said hospitals should not profit from it.

Respondents in the Northeastern US with high incomes were most likely to believe fast food should stay out of hospitals | Image credit: korchemkin – stock.adobe.com

5 Major Chains Across Hospitals

A previous report showed that across 146 medical and osteopathic schools, the 5 most popular fast-food chains served in their hospitals were³:

• Starbucks (27.9%)
• Subway (18.8%)
• Chick-fil-A (9.2%)
• Au Bon Pain (8.8%)
• McDonald’s (5.4%)

Only 45 of the schools said they did not serve fast food in any of their affiliated hospitals or medical centers.³ These respondents were asked to rate their agreement with this statement: “It is acceptable for fast-food restaurants to be in hospitals.” About 57% of medical students disagreed, 17% neither agreed nor disagreed, and 26% agreed.

Anna Herby, DHSc, RD, CDCES, nutrition education specialist for the PCRM, explained in a news release that patients may opt for chicken as a healthier option than red meat but noted that consuming chicken can increase cholesterol just as much.² For example, one BMJ study found that women who ate fried chicken daily had a 13% higher risk of death from any cause and a 12% higher risk of death from heart disease.⁴ Another study showed that consuming 300 grams of poultry per week was linked to higher risks of gastrointestinal cancer and all-cause mortality.⁵

“Hospitals should set an example by ensuring that their restaurants serve more menu items that are cholesterol-free, low in saturated fat, and high in fiber-rich vegetables, grains, beans, and fruit,” said Herby.² “Meals like these have been shown to help prevent or improve the chronic diseases that bring people to the hospital.”

The American Medical Association formally took a position on the issue in 2017, calling on hospitals to remove processed meats from menus and provide more plant-based options and healthier drinks. A separate PCRM report showed Chick-fil-A was located across at least 20 hospitals and medical centers, especially in the South, highlighting the contrast between medical guidance and actual care delivery.⁶

Consistent Belief Across Demographics

The poll results were consistent across most demographic groups but were especially pronounced among Asian American respondents (64% opposed selling fast food in hospitals), residents of the Northeast (60%), and individuals with household incomes above $100,000 (60%).¹ Similar patterns were found when respondents were asked about hospitals profiting from fast food; Northeastern (63%), Asian American (62%), and postgraduate (60%) respondents were the groups that expressed the most opposition.

American Indian patients were underrepresented in the poll with only 34 respondents, which could be a reason why only 73% agreed that typical fast food does not promote good health. Otherwise, at least 82% of every subgroup—by gender, age, race/ethnicity, community type, region, income, education, and political party—agreed with the statement, demonstrating how widely held the belief is that fast food should not be sold in hospitals.

References

1. National hospital fast food poll — July 2025. Morning Consult; Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. July 2025. Accessed August 5, 2025. https://pcrm.widen.net/s/fg2j9lpv75/pcrm_hospital-fast-food-poll_7.11.25
2. Fast food, including cheeseburgers and fried chicken, shouldn’t be sold in hospitals, say most Americans in new poll. News release. Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. July 31, 2025. Accessed August 5, 2025. https://www.pcrm.org/news/news-releases/fast-food-including-cheeseburgers-and-fried-chicken-shouldnt-be-sold-hospitals
3. Ali Z, Stancic S, Becker R, et al. Fast-food outlets in hospitals affiliated with U.S. medical schools. Am J Lifestyle Med. Published online September 4, 2024. doi:10.1177/15598276241267252
4. Sun Y, Liu B, Snetselaar LG, et al. Association of fried food consumption with all cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality: prospective cohort study. BMJ. 2019;364:k5420. doi:10.1136/bmj.k5420
5. Bonfiglio C, Tatoli R, Donghia R, Pesole PL, Giannelli G. Does poultry consumption increase the risk of mortality for gastrointestinal cancers? A preliminary competing risk analysis. Nutrients. 2025;17(8):1370. doi:10.3390/nu17081370
6. Chick-fil-A is located in 20 hospitals and medical centers. Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. July 2025. Accessed August 5, 2025. https://pcrm.widen.net/s/b7tzwphrqr/chick-fil-a-is-located-in-20-hospitals-and-medical-centers---a-report-from-the-physicians-committee-for-responsible-medicine