2016考研英语阅读每日精选：　快餐营养质量仍需改善

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　　Nutrition at Fast Food Restaurants Still LeavesMuch to Be Desired

　　快餐营养质量仍有待改善

　　Fast food has become ubiquitous in the Americandiet, with over 25% of Americans eating fast foodtwo or more times a week. However, a 14-year studypublished in the American Journal of PreventiveMedicine shows menus haven't made muchimprovement in their nutritional quality.

　　无处不在的快餐已经成为了美国人的饮食惯例。在美国，超过25%的美国人一个星期吃两次或两次以上快餐。然而，《美国预防医学杂志》发表的一篇文章表明，一项长达14年的研究结果指出快餐店的菜单并没有显示出快餐营养质量的明显改善。

　　Investigators examined food trends and nutrition profiles of menus from eight popular fastfood chains between the year^ 1997 and 2010. Researchers evaluated the nutritional quality ofthe restaurants' offerings using the U. S. Department of Agriculture's Healthy Eating Index100-point scale.

　　在该项研究中，研究人员首先对1997年至2010年间8个流行快餐连锁店的菜单食品趋势和营养状况进行了调查。其次，研究人员使用美国农业部的百分制健康饮食指数对餐厅提供的食物营养质量进行了评估。

　　Disappointingly, the results showed the nutritional quality of fast food improved only by threepoints from 45 to 48 over the study period. Compared to prior years, scores remainedunchanged for fruit, vegetables, grains and oils, but improved for calories from solid fats andadded sugars as well as meat and saturated fat levels. Scores were worse for dairy and sodium.A handful of the restaurants did improve their individual scores by offering more proteins andgrain options and lowering sugar and saturated fat levels. However, other restaurants headedin the other direction by boosting sodium and saturated fats.

　　令人失望的是，研究结果表明，研究期间快餐食品的营养质量从45%上升到了48%，仅提高了3个百分点。与前些年相比，虽然水果、蔬菜、谷物和油类的得分并没有发生变化，但是固体脂肪、添加糖、肉类的卡路里饱和脂肪含量有所减少。奶制品和钠的得分更加糟糕。由于少数餐馆提供了更多的蛋白质和谷物食物，降低了糖和饱和脂肪的含量，因此他们的个人得分有所提高。但是，其他餐馆的钠和饱和脂肪含量却大幅上升。

　　Large restaurant chains have started displaying calories counts on their menu boards, andsmaller chains should follow suit. Margo Wootan, the director of nutrition policy at the Centerfor Science in the Public Interest in Washington, D. C, said in her commentary, "The fullimpact of menu labeling will not be clear until menu labeling is implemented nationally andconsumers become accustomed to seeing calorie counts on menus".

　　大型餐饮连锁企业已开始在餐单上标出卡路里数，较小的连锁店也应该效仿。哥伦比亚特区华盛顿公共福利科学中心的营养政策主任马戈·乌坦在评论中指出，在全国统一实施这个方法，以及消费者习惯于看到菜单上的卡路里计数之前，这个方法并不会产生全面彻底的影响。

　　With Americans consuming about one-third of their calories outside the home, fast food isplaying a greater role in how families feed themselves. But public health advocates remainhopeful that restaurants will start to take greater responsibility for offering healthier foods,since their current offerings may be contributing to health problems related to diet, likediabetes and obesity.

　　目前，随着大约三分之一左右的美国人在外就餐，快餐也在美国人的餐饮文化中扮演者重要的角色。由于快餐会导致糖尿病、肥胖症等健康问题，因此公共健康卫生倡导者希望快餐店能够切实地对自己提供的食物负责。