If You Are Eating Out...

Many of you enjoy the pleasure of dining out in restaurants. Regardless of whether it is part of travel, business, or to just relax or socialize.... it something many of you enjoy. You can eat out successfully, if you are aware of the problems and issues you face in a restaurant. One of the problems is that it is easy to overeat. A new study has found that eating out may encourage binge eating. 

The study published in the Western Journal of Nursing Research was done on women which included both binge-eaters and dieters, found that both groups of women ate out frequently -- and downed between 200 and 300 extra calories a day in the process. One-third of their bingeing "episodes" over the two-week study occurred in a restaurant, according to findings. And, this was in spite of the fact, that these women ate only about 1/4 of their meals in fast-food places and usually skipped desserts, both of which are usually blamed for contributing to the obesity epidemic. Not only did they eat more calories, they also ate about 10 to 16 extra grams of fat, on the days when they dined out. 

While binge-eating is often thought of as a solitary habit, the environment of a restaurant with all the food cues (aroma, sight, presentation, etc.) at restaurants can trigger a binge-eating episode. So, if you are eating out, order healthy, and be aware of the triggers that may cause you to overindulge. 

In Health,

Jeff

SOURCE: Western Journal of Nursing Research, November 2006.