| With two out of three Americans overweight | | | | such an issue if we were better at walking away. |
| today, it's getting harder to believe that all this | | | | An old adage about fitness says that the most |
| extra fat is a simple problem of self-indulgence or | | | | important exercise to do is "pushbacks," as in, |
| poor personal discipline. In fact, researchers and | | | | when you've had enough, push back and get up |
| clinicians from various sciences say unequivocally | | | | from the table. But research shows that |
| that it's not. Certainly adults are responsible for | | | | Americans in general tend to be "completers," and |
| what they put in their mouths. But when so many | | | | many of us were raised to feel a sense of guilt if |
| are affected, from all across the American | | | | we left food on our plates. Add that programming |
| demographic, we have to also look what's going | | | | to a giant dish of pasta, and suddenly, you're |
| on in our culture at large. And one thing that's | | | | stuffed! The truth is, no matter how we're raised, |
| going on is that there's a lot more going out. In | | | | or whether we're slim or fat, if more is put in |
| 1978, just 18 percent of the calories Americans | | | | front of us we'll eat more, period. And usually, |
| consumed were eaten away from home. But by | | | | we're not even particularly aware of it. This has |
| 2003, that was up to half. Why should that even | | | | been proven out by study after study, in both |
| matter? A calorie is a calorie is a calorie, right? At | | | | the United States and abroad. And that's not all. |
| the bottom line, yes. The trouble is that when we | | | | The research also shows that as we become |
| eat out, we simply have much less control over | | | | accustomed to those mega-sized meals we're |
| what ends up on our plates, and from there, on | | | | presented in restaurants, we tend to prepare |
| our bottom line. That shows up in a variety of | | | | bigger portions at home, as well. We may not use |
| ways. Nutritional research indicates that for almost | | | | all the extra oil, salt and sugar that restaurants do, |
| any given dish that you might choose to prepare | | | | but we're certainly having more of our main |
| at home, when it's compared to a restaurant dish | | | | ingredients, and we're eating big and hearty. The |
| of the same name, it's often not the same thing | | | | other thing that restaurants have over the home |
| at all. So even trying to consciously select what | | | | meal is variety. Even the most accommodating |
| looks like the healthiest choice on the menu might | | | | home cook typically won't make a different |
| not do you much good. Restaurants tend to use | | | | special meal for each member of the family. |
| more oils and fats, more sugar, and more salt in | | | | Again, the nutritional research shows that the |
| their food preparations. The reason is simple: if | | | | more different things you can have, the more |
| the food is yummy, you'll come back! But that | | | | you'll eat overall. United States Department of |
| tends to add up to a lot of extra calories you | | | | Agriculture studies showed that when offered |
| weren't counting on. And speaking of extras, how | | | | three varieties of a given food item-say, |
| about all those extra nibbles: the plates of | | | | sandwiches or cookies-people would eat more |
| appetizers, the baskets of warm bread with pots | | | | than if they were offered three items of the |
| of cool butter, the bonus beverage specials? Most | | | | same variety. That's part of why those |
| families simply don't have all those edible | | | | all-you-can-eat buffets are such a caloric |
| accouterments with regular home meals. But at a | | | | catastrophe. Who ever has just a little? Given the |
| restaurant, your drinks are brought before you | | | | demands of today's busy lifestyles, dining out |
| even order. You often get bread or rolls to eat | | | | nowadays is not only a pleasure, but a |
| during your wait, and appetizers and desserts are | | | | time-saving survival tool. Restaurants may |
| helpfully suggested by your server. Yet those | | | | eventually be required to provide nutritional facts |
| extras can have even more calories than your | | | | for their meals, but even without hard numbers, |
| meals! An order of buffalo wings with blue cheese | | | | awareness of the pitfalls can go a long way |
| dressing? That's a tidy 1,010 calories before dinner. | | | | toward helping us control those calorie counts. We |
| For a fried onion blossom with dip, figure around | | | | just need to think about what we're up against |
| 2,000. Even a basket of garlic bread is about 800 | | | | when someone else is serving, so that when |
| calories. How many people are sharing those | | | | we're eating out, we're not taking so much in. |
| calories at your table? Then you get to the main | | | | Caroline J. Cederquist, M.D. is a board certified |
| attraction, and the major problem with dining | | | | Family Physician and a board certified Bariatric |
| out-portion size! Restaurant meals are often three | | | | Physicians (the medical specialty of weight |
| to four times larger than a normal serving size. | | | | management). Dr. Cederquist is the founder of |
| Even plates, glassware and utensils have grown. | | | | Bistro MD a home diet delivery program that |
| Very often, the dinner plate you get in a | | | | specializes in low calorie gourmet food that is |
| restaurant would qualify as a platter in any home | | | | delivered to your home or office and a practicing |
| kitchen, but then, they have to be bigger to | | | | bariatric physician. |
| accommodate those super servings! It wouldn't be | | | | |