Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between out-of-home (OH) eating and overweight and obesity among adults in Brazil. Sit-down meals and soft drinks were the most frequently reported food groups. Both were positively associated with overweight (OR 5 1?34 for meals; OR 5 1?17 for soft drinks, P , 0?05) and obesity (OR 5 1?51 for meals; OR 5 1?39 for soft drinks, P , 0?05) among men, but negatively associated with overweight and obesity among women. Conclusions: OH eating was associated with overweight and obesity only among men, whereas, among women, eating sit-down meals out of home was protective for obesity, suggesting that women make healthier food choices when they eat out of home.
Keywords
Eating out of home Obesity Household budget survey BrazilThe prevalence of obesity is rising worldwide and also in Brazil (1,2) . In 2003, 40 % of Brazilian adults (over 20 years of age) presented body weight excess (BMI . 25 kg/m 2 ) and 11?1 % were obese (BMI $ 30 kg/m 2 ). The prevalence of obesity in Brazil has been shown to increase along with income among men, while among women this relationship is curvilinear (2) , i.e. prevalences increase in the low-income groups and then decrease in the other income groups.