The impact of restaurant consumption among US adults: effects on energy and nutrient intakes

Abstract

Objective: To examine the effect of fast-food and full-service restaurant consumption on adults' energy intake and dietary indicators. Design: Individual-level fixed-effects regression model estimation based on two different days of dietary intake data was used. Setting: Parallel to the rising obesity epidemic in the USA, there has been a marked upward trend in total energy intake derived from food away from home. Subjects: The full sample included 12 528 respondents aged 20-64 years who completed 24 h dietary recall interviews for both day 1 and day 2 in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2004, 2005-2006, 2007-2008 and 2009-2010. Results: Fast-food and full-service restaurant consumption, respectively, was associated with an increase in daily total energy intake of 813·75 kJ (194·49 kcal) and 858·04 kJ (205·21 kcal) and with higher intakes of saturated fat (3·48 g and 2·52 g) and Na (296·38 mg and 451·06 mg). Individual characteristics moderated the impacts of restaurant food consumption with adverse impacts on net energy intake being larger for black adults compared with their white and Hispanic counterparts and greater for middle-income v. high-income adults. Conclusions: Adults' fast-food and full-service restaurant consumption was associated with higher daily total energy intake and poorer dietary indicators. KeywordsFast food Full-service restaurant Food away from home Energy intake Obesity Diet qualityThe USA is one of the most obese nations in the world, with the age-adjusted prevalence of obesity at 35·5 % among adult men and 35·8 % among adult women in 2009-2010 (1) . With obesity linked to diabetes, heart disease, stroke and some cancers (2) , health-care spending attributed to obesity reached $US 147 billion in 2008, and the costs are projected to increase dramatically in the future (3) . Parallel to the rising obesity epidemic, there has been a marked upward trend in total energy intake derived from food away from home (FAFH). In 1977-1978, the contribution of intake from fastfood and full-service restaurants to total energy intake was 14·2 % for young adults (aged 19-39 years) and 11·5 % for older adults (aged 40-59 years) (4) . In 2007-2008, the contribution of restaurant energy to total energy intake increased to 24 % (13 % for fast-food and 11 % for full-service restaurants) for adults aged 20-64 years (5) . In addition, in 2007-2008, on a given day, 36 % and 27 % of US adults aged 20-64 years consumed foods and beverages from fast-food and full-service restaurant sources, respectively (5) . Moreover, FAFH as a share of food expenditures increased gradually from 30 % in 1977 to 43 % in 2012, although its share stagnated and declined slightly to about 42 % in the recent recession (2007)(2008)(2009) (6) .A number of studies have found an association between FAFH consumption and greater total energy intake and poorer nutrient intakes among adults (7)(8)(9)(10)(11) . Adults who ate fast food had higher intakes of energy, total fat, saturated fat and Na, and...

Lack of Healthy Food Options on Children’s Menus of Restaurants in the Health-Disparate Dan River Region of Virginia and North Carolina, 2013

“…Furthermore, those that eat food away from home consume approximately 200 more kilocalories per day, regardless of whether the restaurant is fast food or full service (4,5). These consumption patterns concur with disparities in childhood obesity across racial/ethnic groups in that African Americans consume more of their calories away from home than other racial groups (5,6). …”

“…This result aligns with the findings of other studies that demonstrate lower availability of healthy food options in minority neighborhoods or areas (8–12,24). As previously noted, blacks eating food away from home consumed more calories than other racial groups also consuming food away from home (6). It was clear from our study that CMA scores were low throughout the region and significantly lower in black block groups than in white and mixed-race block groups.…”

“…Residents of minority, low-income neighborhoods and rural areas are more likely to have poor access to grocery stores and greater access to and consumption of restaurant food (8–12). To date, only a few studies (4,6) have examined the degree to which fast food and full-service restaurants provide healthy menu options, and even fewer studies focus specifically on children’s menus (5,13). Those that do found that children’s menus often did not include a variety of healthy options (5,13).…”

Energy intake from commercially-prepared meals by food source in Korean adults: Analysis of the 2001 and 2011 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys

“…They have commonly reported a higher energy contribution of fat from commercially-prepared meals, specifically compared with that from food prepared at home. Current evidence from studies on American adults has also revealed a positive association between fast-food and full-service restaurant consumption and intakes of sodium and fat [3435]. Additionally, research performed in Western countries has consistently reported a negative impact of frequent consumption of food away food home on health.…”

A voluntary nutrition labeling program in restaurants: Consumer awareness, use of nutrition information, and food selection

“…In Canada, around one quarter of adults eat food prepared in a fast food restaurant each day (Garriguet, 2004). Food eaten outside the home is associated with higher calorie and fat intake, and excess weight gain (Brownell, 2004, Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC), 2010, Mancino et al, 2009, Nguyen and Powell, 2014, Pereira et al, 2005). A primary challenge to healthy eating in restaurant settings is that consumers have very little idea about the nutritional quality of menu items, which varies widely even for similar items across different establishments (Block et al, 2013, Burton et al, 2006, Scourboutakos and L'Abbé, 2012).…”