Eating at Restaurants May Add Extra Calories, Fat to Your Diet

Cooking and eating at home more often may be an excellent strategy for anyone trying to lose weight by watching how many calories they consume.

Researchers have found that eating out at restaurants often means consuming an additional 200 total daily calories, according to a study published in Public Health Nutrition. When you consider how often in a week you head out for lunch or dinner, those calories can quickly add up to extra pounds.

Along with the extra calories, people who eat in restaurants are also taking in significant increases in sugar, saturated fat, and sodium, a news release from the American Cancer Society states.

It’s an important finding because the United States is one of the most obese nations in the world. More than one in three adult men and women are considered obese, which means their body mass index is 30 or greater.

Obesity causes many health problems such as type 2 diabetes, increased risk of stroke, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. It can also shorten a person’s lifespan by 6 to 14 years.

Eating fewer calories and burning more are one strategy to lose weight. Many people also find it helpful to meet with a Registered Dietitian to learn about eating healthy meals.

For the study on eating in restaurants, researchers looked at data collected from more than 12,000 people between the ages of 20 and 64. The study found that on days when eating at a fast-food restaurant, a person ate an additional 195 calories, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 4 grams of sugar and about 300 mg of sodium.

Eating at a full-service restaurant did not mean the meals were healthier. People ate an additional 205 calories, with an extra 2.5 grams of saturated fat and 451 mg of sodium.

Source: American Cancer Society news release

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