Association between eating out of home and body weight

Abstract

Eating outside of the home environment on a frequent basis has been associated with weight gain. Food choices when eating out are usually high in energy content, which contributes to excessive energy intake; however, the available data on out-of-home eating and obesity are far from conclusive. This systematic review assesses the association between out-of-home eating and body weight in adults over 18 years of age. The literature databases searched included Medline, Embase, Lilacs, The Cochrane Library, and the ISI Web of Knowledge. The review includes a comprehensive quality assessment of all included observational studies, 20 cross-sectional studies, and 8 prospective cohort studies. All but one of the prospective cohort studies and about half of the cross-sectional analyses found a positive association between out-of-home eating and body weight. However, many methodological differences among the studies were found, such as the definition of out-of-home eating and its assessment, which limits comparisons. The results of the present analysis suggest that in future studies fast-food restaurants and other out-of-home dining venues should be analyzed separately, assessments based on a single 24-h recall should be avoided, and controls for at-home choices (which were not included in any of the studies reviewed) are necessary to evaluate this association.

Consumo de alimentos fora do domicílio no Brasil

“…b It should be born in mind that the defi nition of eating out is a variable which does not have a standardized defi nition in the scientifi c literature and may explain the large variations observed. 4 In Brazil, the food groups most commonly consumed outside of the home in all regions, in urban and rural areas, among both sexes and for all age groups were alcoholic drinks, fried and roasted snacks, pizza, soft drinks and sandwiches, consistent with data based on spending on eating out in 2002-2003. 3 Consumption of food with high calorie and low nutrient content outside of the home is consistent with studies which describe the signifi cant contribution of eating out to total calorie, fat and sugar consumption, and its low contribution to micronutrient consumption.…”

Menu labelling is effective in reducing energy ordered and consumed: a systematic review and meta-analysis of recent studies

“…Consumption of food outside the home is becoming more frequent (1,5,6) and since this practice is associated with increased energy intake (8)(9)(10) and unhealthy weight gain (11) , it poses challenges of public health concern. The current review and meta-analysis aimed to assess whether ML is effective in reducing energy selected, ordered or consumed in both real-world and experimental settings, (44) Compared energy ordered and consumed for a meal from one of four menus:…”

“…ML applies to standardized food and beverage items sold at chain food establishments (with generally fifteen or more outlets). More than ever, ML is deemed necessary as the consumption of food outside the home increases (1,5,6) and most consumers underestimate the energy content of such foods (7) , which are associated with increased energy intake (8)(9)(10) as well as unhealthy weight gain (11) due to increased portion sizes and energy density. Overweight and obesity put individuals at greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, CVD and certain cancers (12) , all of which incur great financial and social costs (13)(14)(15) .…”

Eating location is associated with the nutritional quality of the diet in Norwegian adults

“…a higher density of fat, saturated fat, sugar and alcohol, than food consumed at home (4,6,7) . Eating out of home has also been associated with obesity and weight gain (8)(9)(10)(11) . At the same time, the quality of food eaten out of home is likely to vary according to the specific location where it is consumed, and these associations may vary between countries.…”