Fast Food Signage from Architectural Signs Sydney

Fast Food Trends

Healthy-eating campaigns, such as the ACT government's Towards Zero Growth initiative, have been formed to tackle the crisis and cut down on obesity. ABS data shows more than half of all Australians are still overweight or obese, up to 61.2 per cent in 2008 compared with 56.3 per cent in 1995.

But in a rare positive indicator in the fight against obesity, experts say Australians' fast-food choices have been getting healthier, smaller and more diverse over the past five years and US trends, such as the Cheeseburger Crust Pizza, are smaller and increasingly short-lived.

Marketing and fast-food experts say it is due to a push by customers, who have been asking for more choice and healthier options in their fast-food choices.

"We've seen the industry undergo a health kick,". "We've seen more juice bars and salad bars and, to some extent, [a] focus away from heavy, large meals to fresher alternatives."(*Queensland University of Technology business school senior lecturer Gary Mortimer).

Dr Mortimer said that, although takeaway and restaurant food still claimed 31 per cent of Australia's shopping dollars, it was a very soft market. He said a focus on healthy lifestyles and smaller meal sizes was changing the way fast food was sold.