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       #Post#: 865--------------------------------------------------
       Restaurant food "just as unhealthy as fast food"
   DIR By: agate
       Date: July 17, 2015, 8:01 pm
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       From Medical News Today, July 17, 2015:
       --- Quote ---
       > Restaurant food 'just as unhealthy as fast food'
       >
       > by James McIntosh
       >
       > A meal in a restaurant might seem to be healthier than one
       eaten in a fast-food outlet, but according to a new study eating
       out at either location leads to a much greater consumption of
       calories than eating a meal prepared at home.
       >
       > Meals consumed in restaurants were judged to contain higher
       levels of sodium and cholesterol than those consumed in
       fast-food outlets and at home.
       >
       > The study, published in the European Journal of Clinical
       Nutrition, found that Americans eating out at either fast-food
       outlets or full-service restaurants would typically consume 200
       calories more per day than when staying at home for meals.
       >
       > "These findings reveal that eating at a full-service
       restaurant is not necessarily healthier than eating at a
       fast-food outlet," states study author Ruopeng An. "In fact, you
       may be at higher risk of overeating in a full-service restaurant
       than when eating fast food."
       >
       > Prof. An, a kinesiology and community health professor at the
       University of Illinois, analyzed data from the National Health
       and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for 2003-10, looking
       at the eating habits of 18,098 adults living in the US.
       >
       > In particular, Prof. An measured daily intake of total
       calories and 24 nutrients considered to be of public health
       concern, including sodium and cholesterol.
       >
       > He discovered that eating in full-service restaurants was just
       as unhealthy as eating at fast-food outlets. The main problem
       with eating in restaurants was found to be that diners would
       typically consume more sodium and cholesterol in their meals
       than elsewhere.
       >
       > "People who ate at full-service restaurants consumed
       significantly more cholesterol per day than people who ate at
       home," Prof. An explains. "This extra intake of cholesterol,
       about 58 mg per day, accounts for 20% of the recommended upper
       bound of total cholesterol intake of 300 mg per day."
       >
       > In comparison, people eating at fast-food outlets consume 10
       mg more cholesterol than people eating at home.
       >
       > Even though people eating in restaurants would take in more
       healthy nutrients such as potassium and omega-3 fatty acids than
       people eating at home or in fast-food outlets, they would be
       consuming significantly large amounts of two nutrients -
       cholesterol and sodium - that Americans tend to eat too much of
       already, even at home.
       >
       > High sodium intake increases risk of hypertension and heart
       disease
       > Prof. An found that an individual's daily sodium intake would
       be increased on average by 300 mg by eating at a fast-food
       outlet and by 412 mg by eating in a restaurant.
       >
       > "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," the
       researcher says.
       >
       > Adults are recommended to consume between 1,500 and 2,300 mg
       of sodium per day. Currently, however, Americans are estimated
       to consume around 3,100 mg per day when eating at home.
       >
       > Another area of nutrition where both fast-food outlets and
       restaurants were found to perform badly was the fat content of
       their meals. Prof. An found that those who ate at either
       fast-food outlets or restaurants would consume 3.49 g and 2.46 g
       more saturated fat respectively than people eating a meal
       prepared at home.
       >
       > Total fat consumption at these food venues was around 10 g
       higher than at home.
       >
       > ...
       >
       >
       >
       > "My advice to those hoping to consume a healthy diet and not
       overeat is that it is healthier to prepare your own foods, and
       to avoid eating outside the home whenever possible," Prof. An
       concludes.
       >
       > Written by James McIntosh
       --- End Quote ---
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