Eating Out: Good for the Tastebuds, Bad for the Waistline

Eating Out: Good for the Tastebuds, Bad for the Waistline

by Larry Lindner

Studies are confirming what you already knew intuitively. "Check, please" are two of the most fattening words in the English language. The more often you eat food prepared away from home, the more calories you consume, the less healthful the meals, and the heavier you become.

Researchers at the University of Memphis drove home the point when they reviewed a week's worth of food records for more than 100 women. Those who ate out—or bought take-out food—at least six times a week consumed, on average, 300 more calories a day than women who relied more on food from their own kitchens.

A separate study, conducted by the California Department of Health Services, found that people who eat out consume up to 25% less in the way of fruits and vegetables than people who prepare all their meals at home. And investigators at the Energy Metabolism Laboratory at Tufts University published a study indicating that the more frequently people eat out, the higher their level of body fatness as a result of eating more calories and fat and less fiber. The association between eating out and body fatness is "robust," the researchers say.

Mon. Jan 30, 10:04am

those are great facts and i agree 100 percent, about a year ago all i did was go to restaurants for months, in 3-5 months i became close to 25 pounds heavier. and then after words i changed my habits and became a raw foodist and lost the weight i put on, now i am forced to prepare my own food because restaurants cook everything they have.

Monday, January 30, 2006, 7:09 PM

I agree, and restaurant portions are huge! No wonder we're all getting fatter.

If you eat out, and you know you're going to at least sometimes, you've got to go in with a strategy. Most restaurants will adjust things a bit for you - grill instead of saute, serve with lemon wedge, substitute veggies for something else, just ask! Don't be afraid to say just skip the fries/ beans/ bread/butter sauce/ bun, whatever, completely. You really don't want it anyways. And ask for things al a carte - they will ususally do it if you ask. Go ahead and do double brocolli. Be sure to drink lots of water.

When you order ask for a to go box to come with the meal. When the food comes, decide how much you will eat and put the rest away in the to go box right away so it's out of sight. I'm always amazed at how huge it is when I get the meal and I think, oh, I'll take half of this home, and then I'm chatting away and before I know it I've eaten way more than I intended to!

Tuesday, January 31, 2006, 7:03 AM

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