the reason americans are heavier than, say, europeans is because fast food is a part of our culture here... and fast food is evil stuff. a big mac, large fries, coke, apple pie and some ketchup is just under 1700 calories. thats absolutely fuggin' insane... especially considering that more than half of those calories are coming from fat. 

as for the 'new generation' of fast food?
like apple slices at mcdonalds, salads, baked potatoes, wraps, and heavy marketing of healthier alternatives like subway subs?
bah. whats the point of going to mcdonalds to buy a salad? or apple slices?
if i want apple slices ill step into the grocery store beside the mcd's and just buy some apples.
and whats this caramel BS? why is it that in north america we always have to slather healthy food with something greasy or sweet in order to eat it? caramel sauce on apples. melted process cheese on broccoli. deep fried bananas. whipped cream on blueberries. fried rice... and on and on. it defeats the entire purpose of eating something healthy.

the last time i went to subway with rio, we spent over $20 for a turkey & bacon 12" sub for me, some sortof southwestern chicken 6" sub for rio, and a couple of snapples. screw that, i can just head over to the grocery store and pick up a kilogram of shaved turkey breast, lettuce, tomatoes, some buns, and some swiss cheese for less than that, and eat a sub every day for a week. 

classic fast food was incredibly unhealthy, but at least it had a point.
now? having salads and baked potatoes and subs at a fast food joint is just an excuse for being too lazy to walk into a grocery store and buy groceries, and perhaps pack a healthy bag lunch for yourself.
im 29, self employed, and most of my friends my age are college graduates with good jobs -- yet all they do is bitch about how they are overweight and need to get in shape, and how they never have any money. one of them is whining that he doesnt even have a car because it broke down and he cant afford to fix it. yet what did he do last night? and the night before? order pizza.

all of them eat out at fast food joints on a regular basis, order pizza almost nightly, and none of them pack a bag lunch or even make breakfast at home -- they eat breakfast in a donut shop and pay $4-5 every morning for a coffee they can make at home for 20 cents and some donuts they probably shouldnt be eating anyway. thats over $100 a month, and thats just breakfast. on average most of them are spending almost $20 a day on coffees, donuts, and lunch in a cafeteria, then coming home and ordering pizza for another $30. thats $50 a day just to eat unhealthy.

youll be much healthier and have several hundred more dollars in the bank at the end of the month if you just make a resolution to visit the grocery store instead of a fast food restaurant, eat breakfast at home, and pack a healthy bag lunch. cook dinner yourself rather than take the easy way out and order pizza.