Laut Umfrage tappen Amerikaner im Dunkeln über die Gefahren von Hot Dogs | Nur 11 % konnten ein spezifisches Gesundheitsrisiko im Zusammenhang mit Hot Dogs und anderen verarbeiteten Fleischsorten nennen, beispielsweise Krebs.

„With the Fourth of July coming up, there’s almost certain to be a hidden and dangerous threat lurking in your refrigerator or freezer. I’m talking, of course, about hot dogs.

A new [poll](https://pcrm.widen.net/s/5t7g5vcp9r/pcrm-hot-dog-survey-2026_6.25.26) this week, commissioned by the nonprofit Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), looked at Americans’ attitudes toward hot dogs. More than half the respondents reported eating hot dogs at least once a month, it showed, while nearly 90% were unaware of the specific health problems associated with the food, such as a greater risk of cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. People, particularly kids, should try to limit their consumption of hot dogs and other highly processed meats, doctors with the Physicians Committee say.

“Because children’s bodies and eating habits are still developing, early and frequent exposure to red and processed meats—like hot dogs—can cause lasting harm,” said Stephanie McBurnett, a registered dietician and the nutrition educator for the Physicians Committee, in a statement from the group.

# Why are hot dogs bad?

Hot dogs are a prime example of processed meat, or meat that’s been preserved and treated through various methods like smoking, curing, or salting. And sadly, research has consistently linked the regular consumption of these foods to a higher risk of many health issues.

According to the American Cancer Society, both processed and red meat are strongly linked to colorectal cancer; some research has further suggested they can raise the risk of breast, pancreatic, prostate, and stomach cancer. The World Health Organization formally [recognizes](https://www.iarc.who.int/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/pr240_E.pdf) processed meat as a Group 1 carcinogen (the strongest level of certainty). And these foods also seem to increase our chances of [heart disease](https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/the-effects-of-processed-meats-on-your-heart-health), [type 2 diabetes](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3496924/), and possibly even [dementia](https://gizmodo.com/processed-meat-linked-to-increased-dementia-risk-study-1846527020).

The average American, however, appears to be in the dark about the above, according to this latest poll, which was conducted last week on behalf of the Physicians Committee by the company Morning Consult. The online poll involved more than 2,200 adults among the general population, according to Morning Consult. People were asked how often they ate hot dogs and whether they were aware of the health risks associated with them.

Overall, 59% of people said they ate hot dogs at least once a month, while roughly a quarter reported eating them at least once a week. Men were more likely to eat them two to three times a week than women (51% to 38%), as were people between 35 and 44 compared to any other age group (52%).

A whopping 40% of respondents said they weren’t aware of any health risks linked to hot dogs, while another 49% said they were aware of health risks in general but couldn’t think of any specific ones; just 11% could list these risks, with the most commonly named being cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease, and high cholesterol.

# Safer alternatives

Of course, moderation can go a long way toward having a healthier diet. So if you love a good frankfurter, as I do, maybe you can cut back on your consumption, especially if you’re an every-day dogger, as 5% of respondents in this poll reported they were. And not all hope is lost if you love hot dogs but want to stay as health-conscious as possible, McBurnett says. Though vegan or plant-based hot dog meat alternatives also tend to be processed, they’re safer overall if they’re replacing the traditional meat kind.

“On the bright side,” she said, “there are a multitude of healthier hot dog alternatives available these days, from commercially prepared veggie dogs that can be found in most supermarkets, to tasty whole food homemade versions made from marinating carrots in soy sauce, liquid smoke, and spices.”

The Physicians Committee even has its own [recipe](https://www.pcrm.org/good-nutrition/plant-based-diets/recipes/carrot-dogs) for those homemade carrot dogs.“

Does this mean there are higher cancer diagnosis in West Virginia?

According to google, 481 hotdogs PER year per resident is wiiiild.

And they’re delicious. I also drink beer.

*Clutches pearls*

Hot dog: Hopital

You know, a lot of people say to me, „Hey, you travel around all the time, you must not be able to get good foods to eat.“ But I love hot dogs and you can get a hot dog any place, so it’s easy for me to eat, right?

But people still come up, they say, „Oh, don’t eat hot dogs. They have really weird things in them, you know, but it doesn’t bother me because I love animal lips.“

And I guess rat feces is one about my favorite things. I guess I do enjoy it.

– Steve Martin, *Comedy Is Not Pretty*

Really? If anybody asked me a health risk connected with anything, I’d probably immediately guess cancer.

It’s easy to forget how little fellow Americans know about their food. But we sure have strong stances on things like vaccines and GMOs

I think Swedish people eat more hot dogs than Americans. Not joking, if you’ve been there, you know.

Man , I could really go for a Carrot dog right about now!

Americans love denial almost as much as hot dogs.

Guess I’ll die of hot dog and Spam cancer because I ain’t gonna stop eating those.

americans in general are just dumber than you would think. especially adults that have been out of school for decades or never went to school. its really hard to overstate how dumb some americans are. millions of people in america live in super rural areas, have next to no communication with the outside world, never went to school never learned anything, have grown up in the same town their great great grandparents grew up in, usually in a super impoverished area. people so out of touch with things they dont know who the president is, how the government functions, literally anything outside of their small bit of life they dont know how to do. these are the people that help us get results like, 15% of americans thinking chocolate milk comes from brown cows or that the sun revolves around the earth. people can be stupid, especially when it comes to their own health, which even smarter americans have trouble keeping up with.

I can’t name the specifics, but I know hot dogs are bad for me…

Something to do with nitrates or is that been dealt with?

I’m making hot dogs