Study eating with friends or in restaurants has an impact on the diet

In the restaurant or in the company of friends is often eaten excessively
Many people try to reduce their weight or maintain a healthy body weight. Does it make a difference if we dine in society? How does it feel to eat at home or in a restaurant? Researchers now found that eating in a social environment (such as friends or in a restaurant) increases the risk of overeating.

Researchers at the Department of Health and Community Systems at the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, found in an investigation that eating at acquaintances or in a restaurant causes us to overeat ourselves. The physicians presented the results of their study at the American Heart Association's conference.

It makes a huge difference to your diet, whether you dine at home or with friends and in restaurants. Diet utensils are easier to follow when you eat at home with your family. (Image: pressmaster / fotolia.com)

Experts monitor the eating habits of 150 subjects
If you want to lose some weight, then you should pay attention to where you eat. A recent study monitored the eating habits of 150 people. They used an app on their smartphone to analyze the data of their diet throughout the day, explain the authors. 90 percent of the volunteers were women. All subjects had to report five times a day where they consumed their food and if they were in society. In addition, they had to provide information on when they broke their diet or were tempted to do so, the researchers add.

Eating in the restaurant leads to an increased risk of not following a diet
The odds of not dieting or consuming too much food was 60 percent for a restaurant meal. When people ate their own food, that figure was 50 percent, says Professor Lora Burke of the University of Pittsburgh. If the participants in a restaurant were asked if they wanted more food or a high-calorie meal, the risk of discarding the diet was also 60 percent. At work, this value was only about 40 percent for comparison.

Our food is healthier when we cook at home ourselves
But why is this effect? One theory is that you have more control over what you cook for yourself at home. In addition, your family knows your diet goals and supports them, the researchers say. A study published in 2014 by Public Health Nutrition has already found that preparing a dinner at home involves eating healthier food. But there is an important caveat to this result, people tend to consume snacks when they are home alone.

The risk of not following a diet is influenced by the time of day
The time of day also affects the likelihood of people breaking their diet. The consumption of healthy snacks such as nuts, vegetables and fruits has its peak around noon. Sweet snacks are more likely to be consumed in the evening just after 8pm. Such foods include sweets, chocolate and ice cream, explain the doctors.

Which dietary targets did the subjects have?
In the current study by Burke's team, women weighing less than 200 pounds were given a daily diet of 1,200 calories per day. For men of this weight, the goal was 1,500 calories, say the experts. For women over 200 pounds, the target was 1,500 calories, and for men, the goal was not more than 1,800 calories. It could be a maximum of 25 percent of total calories from fat, the researchers add.

Further research is needed
The results of the study can help people successfully end a diet or maintain a healthy body weight. Further research into understanding dietary effects and avoiding weight gain (yo-yo) is crucial to improving public health, says author Burke. (As)