Restaurant food can be just as fattening as fast food, according to a new study which adds to evidence eating out may be a bad idea for people looking to lose weight. Surprisingly, fast food may not be as unhealthy as full-serve restaurants, a new report reveals.
University of Illinois researchers examined health records of more than 18,000 adult Americans who were included on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Data covered patients from 2003 to 2010.
Eating out at any restaurant, full-service or fast food, can add up to 200 calories a day to total caloric consumption, the study concluded. This could come about because diners, tempted by waitstaff in a sit-down restaurant, may consume greater quantities of food. Fast-food patrons, on the other hand, would be unlikely to visit a drive-thru window for a second or third time.
Restaurant food was found to be higher in vitamins and minerals than fast foods or eating at home. However, meals from full-service restaurants were also found to be higher in cholesterol and sodium than fast-food items.
"People who ate at full-service restaurants consumed significantly more cholesterol per day than people who ate at home. This extra intake of cholesterol, about 58 milligrams per day, accounts for 20 percent of the recommended upper bound of total cholesterol intake of 300 milligrams per day," Ruopeng An of the University of Illinois said.
Americans eat roughly 3,100 milligrams (mg) of sodium each day, while recommendations for healthy consumption vary between 1,500 and 2,300 mgs daily. Eating at fast-food restaurants was found to add around 300 mg of sodium each day, while full dining tacks on 412 mg every 24 hours.
"The additional sodium is even more worrisome because the average daily sodium intake among Americans is already so far above the recommended upper limit, posing a significant public health concern, such as hypertension and heart disease," An stated in an university press release.
African-Americans were found to consume a greater amount of saturated and total fats, sugar, and salt, than people of other races. Middle-income consumers were found to have the greatest intake of all income groups for total fat, saturated fats, sodium, and total food energy. Obese patients were found to consume greater levels of fats (saturated and total), cholesterol, sodium, and total energy than either overweight patients or those of a healthy weight.
Researchers report that the best way for people to maintain healthy levels of these materials is to eat at home, and make wise choices when selecting ingredients for meals and snacks.
Study of the health benefits and drawbacks of eating out compared with eating at home was profiled in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
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