Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine what the fast food restaurants in the Gauteng region are doing to combat
obesity. Obesity is a global epidemic, with figures rising at an alarming rate every year. The food service industry
has contributed significantly to the rise in obesity rates worldwide. Purposive sampling technique was utilised.
From the target population selected, one manager per establishment was chosen to participate in the survey (one
manager x 5 fast food outlets x 6 branches = 30 managers in total). The study used a quantitative research
approach, utilising self-administered surveys which were distributed by the researchers. Summarily, the study
observed that there was a statistically significant difference (p<0.05) among the managers regarding knowledge
of healthy meals. Managers of two of the fast foods had better knowledge of healthy meals than managers of the
other three fast foods. A lot still needs to be done across all sectors of the food industry. The South African
government, specifically the Departments of Health and Tourism, should collaborate to develop regulations
regarding inclusion of nutritional information on menus. Increasing fast food restaurant employees' awareness of
the obesity epidemic can have a long-term impact because they will be able to easily promote healthier eating if
they are better informed. The findings revealed that the managers agreed that more regulations were needed to
help reduce obesity.