Eating out without gaining too much weight

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDJan 12 2012

According to a new study eating out does not necessarily have to mean consuming large portions of high-calorie foods and becoming obese.

Researchers looked at 35 women aged between 40 and 59, and found that after six weeks of following a weight gain prevention program, they lost more weight than women who didn't follow the program. Nineteen of the women were given instructions about how to prevent weight gain, 16 were not. As a part of the program the researchers suggested that when dining out, the women should ask that half of their meal be boxed up “to go” before they started eating, and should look up calorie information on restaurants' websites, along with other advice.

Women in the prevention group attended six weekly, 2-hour sessions. Each session included discussions on managing weight, weekly goals, eating out strategies and mindful eating meditation, which involved exercises aimed at helping the women appreciate the sight, smell and texture of eating food. As an incentive, those in the prevention group were given a $20 gift card during the first part of the study and a $30 gift card at the end of the study.

The main tenets of the training included –

1. Discussion of general principles of weight management
2. Working out weekly personal weight goals
3. Planning meals at favorite restaurants using calorie and fat information
4. Learning how to visualize portion sizes

By the end of the study, researchers found women in the weight gain prevention group consumed less calories and fat than women who were not in the prevention program. On average, women who participated in the prevention program lost close to four pounds, whereas women in the control group lost about half a pound. Moreover, the number of times women ate out didn't decrease over the course of the study, indicating that women were able to manage their weight while continuing their habits of dining out.

“Being able to control and manage what you eat is useful,” said lead author Dr. Gayle Timmerman, PhD and RN who studies eating patterns and weight in women at the University of Texas. “But you need some knowledge and skills in order to do that.” The study is published Jan. 10 in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior.

In 1970, 26 percent of all food spending was on food away from home, but by 2005, that number had climbed to 41 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “Restaurants are a high-risk food environment,” Timmerman said. “If you don't have a strategy, it's easy to gain weight and eat more without intending to.” In fact, a 2011 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that lower-calorie foods purchased in restaurants may contain more calories than listed.

Judy Stern, a nutritionist from the University of California, Davis, however wasn't too impressed with the study's findings. “If you're overweight, and I gave you some incentive to lose weight, you would probably lose weight,” Stern said. “While I appreciate the efforts they went through in this study, I'm underwhelmed.” She also noted that the study could have been strengthened by being longer. But she did find the study to be a step in the right direction. “It's increasing our awareness of what we're eating,” she said.

Among other advice the study participants received were budgeting calories. They suggest eating a lighter meal before going out to prevent overeating. Chewing slowly, ordering salad dressings, sauces and gravy on the side to know how much to add to food and eating only that which one really enjoys were other tips.

This study addresses the importance of developing creative solutions in preventing weight gain; developing restaurant eating skills to manage intake in the high risk restaurant food environment may be one of those solutions.