Overeating in America: association between restaurant food consumption and body fatness in healthy adult men and women ages 19 to 80.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the association between the frequency of consuming restaurant food and body fatness in adults.


METHODS
Usual free-living dietary intake and the frequency of consuming food from seven different restaurant types (fried chicken, burger, pizza, Chinese, Mexican, fried fish, and "other") were assessed by food frequency questionnaire in 73 healthy men and women [ages 19 to 80, body mass index (BMI) 18 to 33]. In addition, body fatness (percent weight) was determined by hydrostatic weighing, and physical activity and other lifestyle parameters were assessed by questionnaire. The relationship between the frequency of consuming restaurant food and body fatness was determined after controlling for age, sex, and other confounders by using multiple regression techniques.


RESULTS
Restaurant food consumption averaged 7.5+/-8.5 (Standard Deviation) times/month. After controlling for age and sex, the frequency of consuming restaurant food was positively associated with body fatness (partial r = 0.36, p = 0.003). The strength of this association did not change after controlling for education level, smoking status, and alcohol intake, but after additionally controlling for physical activity, the partial r increased to 0.42 (p = 0.004). Total daily intakes of energy, fat, and fiber were significantly associated with restaurant food consumption frequency (r = 0.59, 0.28, and -0.45, respectively, p = 0.02 to 0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
The frequency of consuming restaurant food was positively associated with increased body fatness in adults. The increasing proportion of household food income spent on food prepared away from home in the United States may therefore help explain the rising national prevalence of obesity.
McCrory
M A
MA
Energy Metabolism Laboratory, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111-1524, USA.
Fuss
P J
PJ
Hays
N P
NP
Vinken
A G
AG
Greenberg
A S
AS
Roberts
S B
SB
D000273:Adipose Tissue; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004435:Eating; D002149:Energy Intake; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology*; D012147:Restaurants
D004041:Dietary Fats; D004043:Dietary Fiber