Dining out can doom a diet

Sticking to a diet is tough enough, but eating out with friends or family may up the odds of cheating by about 60 percent, a new study suggests.
"When you're in a restaurant, you're probably more vulnerable than you think you are," said study author Lora Burke, a professor of nursing at University of Pittsburgh.
"Whenever you're in a high-risk situation, you could easily eat beyond what you'd planned to," she added.
More than 70 percent of American adults over age 20 are overweight or obese, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And an estimated 45 million Americans diet each year, according to Boston Medical Center's Nutrition and Weight Management Center.
In the study, Burke and her colleagues estimated both the rate of diet temptations and the probability a lapse would follow based on dieters' location -- such as home, a restaurant or workplace -- as well as whether they were alone or with others.
The researchers had 150 adults use a smartphone app to report when they felt temptation, and whether or not they succumbed to that temptation. Ninety percent of the volunteers were women. Eighty percent were white.
The study participants' average body mass index (BMI) was 34, putting them in the obese category. BMI is a rough measure of a person's body fat calculated with weight and height measurements. A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered normal. From 25 to 29.9 is overweight, and a BMI of 30 or over is considered obese.
As an example, a 5-foot-4 woman weighing about 200 pounds, or a 5-foot-9 man weighing 230, both have a BMI of 34 (the study average), the researchers said.
Diet temptations were defined as eating a food or an amount of food inconsistent with a weight loss plan. Diet temptations occurred most often in a restaurant while eating with others or in sight of others who were eating, the study showed.
Temptations didn't occur as frequently in another person's home as in a restaurant. But there was still nearly a 65 percent likelihood of a diet lapse in someone else's house.
    HealthDay

Dining out can doom a diet

Sticking to a diet is tough enough, but eating out with friends or family may up the odds of cheating by about 60 percent, a new study suggests. When youre in a restaurant, youre probably more vulnerable than you think you are, said study author Lora Burke, a professor of nursing at University of Pittsburgh. Whenever youre in a high-risk situation, you could easily eat beyond what youd planned to, she added. More than 70 percent of American adults over age 20 are overweight or obese, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And an estimated 45 million Americans diet each year, according to Boston Medical Centers Nutrition and Weight Management Center. In the study, Burke and her colleagues estimated both the rate of diet temptations and the probability a lapse would follow based on dieters location -- such as home, a restaurant or workplace -- as well as whether they were alone or with others. The researchers had 150 adults use a smartphone app to report when they felt temptation, and whether or not they succumbed to that temptation. Ninety percent of the volunteers were women. Eighty percent were white. The study participants average body mass index (BMI) was 34, putting them in the obese category. BMI is a rough measure of a persons body fat calculated with weight and height measurements. A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered normal. From 25 to 29.9 is overweight, and a BMI of 30 or over is considered obese. As an example, a 5-foot-4 woman weighing about 200 pounds, or a 5-foot-9 man weighing 230, both have a BMI of 34 (the study average), the researchers said. Diet temptations were defined as eating a food or an amount of food inconsistent with a weight loss plan. Diet temptations occurred most often in a restaurant while eating with others or in sight of others who were eating, the study showed. Temptations didnt occur as frequently in another persons home as in a restaurant. But there was still nearly a 65 percent likelihood of a diet lapse in someone elses house. HealthDay