Dr. Mercola January 06 2009 126,972 views
A new study has compared fast food and table service meals at restaurants. Both types of meals are larger and have more calories than meals prepared at home. However, the typical fast food meal is smaller and has fewer calories than the average meal from a table service restaurant.
The study used data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals, a large sample of information regarding nutritional intake.
Fast food was found to be more energy dense than food from a table service restaurant, but fast food meals also tend to be smaller. As a result, the typical fast food meal had fewer calories than the average meal from a table service restaurant.
However, table service diners were more likely to reduce their food consumption during the rest of the day, most likely because of the difference in energy density. As a result, fast food may ultimately result in more calories.
Most people are well aware of the Super-Size-Me trap at fast food joints, but it may not occur to you that eating at sit-down diners and restaurants will also lead to consuming inferior food, and far more calories, than eating at home.
Restaurant meals can be highly deceptive, not only due to the fact that you don’t really know what’s in that meal, but you may also overindulge, eating more than your fill. Previous studies have shown that it actually takes you longer to reach fullness or satiety when you’re served a larger than normal portion of food.
Additionally, even when the plate comes stacked to the hilt, many have trouble leaving food on their plates. In one survey, 67 percent of participants said that they finish their entrees when eating out all or most of the time. As many restaurants serve very large portions, it’s no wonder studies have also found a link between body weight and frequency of consuming meals from restaurants.
Always use your hunger as a guide, rather than deciding how much to eat based on what’s on your plate.
As I’ll discuss in just a moment, your hunger may in fact be a major clue that you’re eating not only the wrong types of food, but that you’re likely consuming them in lopsided ratios for your individual biochemistry.
But the sheer size of the meal does matter, when it comes to weight control.
In the past few decades, American meal portions have steadily increased, and our waistlines have expanded accordingly.
However, in some ways this study reminds me of the rhetorical question that I frequently used to ask patients: Would you rather be hit in the head with a baseball bat or a hammer? Of course there is no good answer to this. They both should be avoided as they both can cause severe injury or death.
I personally believe that if you have the discipline to control your serving size, the typical restaurant food is likely to be far healthier for you than a fast food restaurant. But both of them prevent you from eliminating potential toxins from your food.
Can You Lose Weight By Simply Counting Calories?
Generally, when you read about government guidelines for weight control, you’ll get an eyeful about the importance of counting calories.
But is that all there’s to it?
No, of course not. If it were, you’d be able to substitute one meal a day for a Twinkie and still lose weight.
More important than the simple counting of calories is looking at the source of those calories.
Back in 2004, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report accurately concluded that carbohydrates are the reason why Americans, women in particular, have been consuming increasing numbers of calories over the past 30 years.
In 1971, women consumed an average of 1,571 calories per day. Of those, 45.4 percent came from carbohydrates. By 2000, women had increased their average daily consumption to 1,877 calories – a 22 percent increase – and carbs now made up 51.6 percent of those calories.
Men increased their daily calorie consumption from 2,450 to 2,618 calories per day during that same timeframe, with carbs making up 42.4 percent and 49 percent of those calories respectively.
Meanwhile, obesity rates jumped from 14.5 percent of U.S. adults in 1971, to 30.9 percent in 2000.
Previous research linked this increase to a greater intake of salty snacks, pizza and other fast foods -- in other words, a greater intake of carbohydrates, mainly in the form of grains.
Fast-forward eight years, and today, the average American consumes a whopping 3,770 calories a day, is 10 pounds overweight, and our adult obesity rate is over 65 percent!
Apparently, excessive carb consumption is showing no signs of slowing down.
According to a registered dietician and representative for the American Dietetic Association, restaurant meals average between 1,000 to 1,500 calories.
But one of the often ignored MAJOR culprits boosting calorie intake today is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), in the form of soda. It is the number one source of calories in the American diet today. In fact, the average American gets an astounding one-fourth of their daily calories from soda!
What’s the Answer?
At the end of the day, your consumption of carbohydrates, whether in the form of (all) grains, sugars, or high fructose corn syrup, will determine whether or not you’re able to manage your weight and maintain optimal health.
Cutting out or severely limiting all three can be the U-turn you’ve been looking for if you are currently overweight and/or your health is suffering.
Keep in mind that if you choose to rely on restaurant food for most of your meals, you are likely slashing decades from your lifespan and increasing the likelihood of having to rely on expensive and potentially toxic drugs to treat the symptoms that will result from not eating healthy.
So you either pay now or wind up paying later, at which point it will typically be far more painful and expensive.
The real remedy is to return to your kitchen and embrace good old-fashioned home cooking.
You, a family member, or someone you pay, simply has to spend time in the kitchen cooking fresh wholesome meals if you have any hope of staying healthy.
Like many people, I have very little "free time" in my life, but still I am committed to preparing over 95 percent of my meals in order to preserve my health. It is a commitment, a truly important one, and it CAN be done.
A major leap forward would be to strive for a diet of 90 percent non-processed food and only 10 percent from other sources.
Not only will you enjoy numerous health benefits, but you will gain the satisfaction of preparing meals and being able to control the ingredients.
Yes, it takes more time and energy to follow an individualized nutrition plan than to eat fast food, but doing so could:
Your Hunger is Your Guide to Your Optimal Fuel
As I stated earlier, frequent hunger may be a major clue that you’re not eating correctly. Not only is it an indication that you’re consuming the wrong types of food, but it’s also a sign that you’re likely consuming them in lopsided ratios for your individual biochemistry.
The beauty of eating according to your nutritional type, which is based on your personal biochemistry, is that your food cravings will dissipate, making reducing the sizes of your portions that much easier. You can split your meals into five or six smaller portions, and still be far less hungry than you ever were before because your body is finally getting the fuel it needs to thrive.
Typically, finding your optimal diet involves shifting the ratio of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, once you have determined what types of food your body is designed to eat. Optimal health may actually have less to do with the type of food you are eating, but with the relative percentage of each food you consume.
If you are eating right for your nutritional type, your meal should leave you with increased energy, noticeable improvements in mental capacity and emotional well-being and should leave you feeling satisfied for several hours.
However, if you feel worse in some way an hour or so after eating, such as:
... then you are likely eating the wrong combination of protein, fat and carbohydrates for your nutritional type. In this case, I strongly suggest that you read my book Take Control of Your Health, which discusses these topics in greater detail.
Everyone I know sees eating out at restaurants as a necessity of life. When I stopped eating out at all, period, (and I do mean I never eat out) over four years ago, my friends just don't know what to do with me. The concept is totally foreign to them. I miss only the social ties with eating out ... and the convenience of not having to prepare and pack a meal for myself if I am going to be away during a mealtime. I do not miss being in pain from ingesting ingredients that I'm allergic to, bloating for days on end and consuming things into my body that I have no idea about where they've come from, what they've been exposed to, what has been added to alter them or even how carefully and cleanly they have been handled. My friends think that it's "just awful" that I can't/don't enjoy the "pleasures" of eating out. I can tell you that it is no sacrifice whatsoever to me at this point. If we are interested in our health, then the whole concept of patronizing restaurants is perhaps something that needs a good re-thinking.
Both your comments and Tommo's struck a chord with me. I ceased consumption of "soft" drinks 25 years ago and we stopped dining out about five or six years ago. A variety of factors brought us to that decision; but, two in particular tipped the balance in favor of home-cooked meals. When a meal is extremely expensive ($500 per couple) and I realized my own food was superior, it no longer made sense to dine out for "special occasions." Now, when we want to splurge, I spend our money on luxury ingredients at various stores and websites and produce a lovely, totally fresh, exquisite meal at home. And the atmosphere is far superior to the ambiance offered by restaurants. Yes, we now have "smoke free" dining in The Beautiful Bluegrass but there are other annoyances when subjected to "the public." A case in point is Tommo's anecdotal evidence above. Home is where the heart is and where the health is!
Totally agree Gypsy Lou. My family eats SO much better at home and we eat organic for less than going to eat out for a "conventional" meal. So when people say that organic is expensive, the first question I ask is how often do you eat out per week? There is an article that summarizes this point on bluedominoes and also has pointers for picky eaters: www.bluedominoes.com/nutrition_recipes.php
*GASP* $500 per couple? On a meal? That's almost my entire monthly income!
Even if I had that kind of money to throw around, I wouldn't throw it at food. I mean, you've only got to eat all over again tomorrow!
Personally, I find restaurants to be great chemical contamination centers. With few exceptions, I don't care what kind of restaurant it is. Well, I'd really go for a slow-food restaurant. Ingredients must be organic, even the wine. All must be cooked from scratch if at all possible.
I've lost about 95 lbs by avoiding all bread, all dairy products, all grains, all corn and all potatoes, as well as all added sugars. I've followed this lifestyle and unlike Oprah, I'm not gaining any of it back.
When I eat out in a restaurant or a friend's home, I break most, if not all my guidelines. I don't seem to put on any fat, but I always bloat up two or three pounds. It couldn't be fat because the food I eat doesn't come close to weighing 2 or 3 pounds.
It takes me about three days to recover. I believe GMO foods, soy derivitive additives, toxic pesticides and preservatives, added sugars, bread, grains, too much added processed salt, and who know what else contaminates my entire body even leaving a constant taste in my mouth, like a demon of craving telling me I must eat more, and soon!
Fortunately, I go back to my "new way of living", and recover. Even my mind becomes more lucid, and I feel so good I wake up singing. Not bad for a 66 year old, is it?
I believe Mercola has already written more inclusive articles than this one. Apparently he's looking to "sell" beginners on the dangers of restaurant food, whereas, fortunately, some of us have already gone about as far as we can without actually living in an organic utopia. Show me where it is, I'm ready to even give up the illusive vestages of so-called civilization such as dining in most fine restaurants. Unfortunately, what we pay for is not what we get.
P.S. I've never counted calories, and I didn't even buy scales until I'd come within 10 lbs of my goal, which was to lose 100 lbs and keep it off. I have gone from the XXLarge, down to where medium is now just a little loose, but okay.
JayPatrick and everyone else will appreciate the 3 minute YouTube video on just how contaminated today's fast food restaurant stuff is. You've made wise decision to stay away from those places as often as you can.
It wouldn't surprise me if the chain sitdown restaurants weren't much better.
You gotta see the bionic burger!
1brightwinger.blogspot.com/.../is-your-burger-aging-better-than-you.html
There's another video on the 4-year old burger and fries. They look like, well you just have to see it.
Funny, Kelley, very funny.
These "immortal hamburgers" remind me very much of the ones I saw in Morgan Spurlock's documentary film, "Supersize Me." In the final segment of the film, Morgan displays his "little science experiment" with hamburgers from various sources, including, of course, Mickey-D's. Oh yeah, I laughed all the way through the film, so entertaining and so appalling at the same time!
JayPatrick,
Here's my anecdote for my most recent foray into the world of chemicalized, processed food:
Last Friday, I was at my niece's house all day helping her put away Christmas decorations (she is the mother of a very active 5-yr old boy and a 4-month girl). Then her mother (my sister) came over in the early evening after work, and they decided to order pizza. So I had 3 pieces and paid for it the rest of the evening into the early AM hours and the rest of the next day. Even with my pancreatic enzyme supplements (which I take every day), I had still had indigestion, bloating, burping, and gas, and at 5 AM the next morning woke up from a major night sweat (haven't had one of those in a very long time). Then I just plain felt crummy for the rest of the day. OK, that's the last time I ever eat pizza again. I think I would rather, from now on, just not eat for the rest of the day than eat chemicalized "food."
Normally, I eat all-organic, local farm food, including raw milk and raw milk products, pasture-raised meat, poultry, and eggs, which forms the core of my high fat, moderate protein, and very low carb diet without any gluten-containing grains. So, I found out once again that, yes, I STILL have an allergy to wheat!! (Note: I quit wheat a little over a year ago, when I suspected that my major heartburn and indigestion might be caused by all of the wheat I was eating.) BTW, I never eat at restaurants any more either. Yuck, yuck, yuck.
Part of the problem is that people expect immediate service of their order. I recall sitting in a small Italian restaurant in Gloucester NSW Australia - a small town in an attractive region. The restaurant was run by a young Italian couple. She served, he cooked. Everything (they offered only pasta and pizza dishes) was cooked from scratch from bowls of ready chopped tomatoes, pancetta, cheese herbs mushrooms etc. which could be seen through the glass wall of the kitchen.
One American lady could not stand the inevitable wait and became louder and louder in her complaints about the time it took to get her meal. This was embarrassing for everyone and showed a total lack of appreciation of what was being offered. (If she did not want to wait she could have had instantly served chicken parmigiana at the motel down the road - straight out of the freezer!)
If her meal was anything like mine when served it would have been fresh, delicious and healthy - and surprisingly well priced.
We have to learn to wait a little while for quality.
Amen Tommo
That lady has stress hormones going off too.
Excitotoxins (MSG and Aspartame) block the receptors in the brain that signals satiation. Cut out all MSG and Aspartame and your food cravings will reduce in intensity.
An important point to remember : if one wishes to or must eat out it is best to avoid chain restaurants. For the most part, their foods are frozen, prepackaged, and shipped around to their various restaurants-not much different from frozen, processed items available in the supermarket.
OnlyTruth...You're comment is not truthful across the board. A diner in the small town next to ours has a lot of prepackaged and frozen foods that are only heated and served. A waitress (who was a friend) told us how they prepared meals. I see why the restuarant lost so much business.
But a new diner in our town makes a lot of things scratch. You can tell from the taste of the food.
So just because it's not a chain, doesn't mean anything really. Always ask how they make their meals. From scratch or fresh or is everything frozen and they just reheat it.