Going out to lunch ‘leads to weight gain’

People who regularly dine out at lunchtime are likely to weigh more than people who pack their own lunch, a new study has found.

Research carried out by experts at the Hutchinson Centre Prevention Centre suggests that people who keep a food diary to track what they eat are far more likely to lose weight than those who eat out at restaurants during the day and do not total up their calorie intake.

The study, led by Dr Anne McTiernan, a member of the centre’s Public Health Sciences Division, shows that women who keep food journals consistently lost six pounds more than people who do not keep track.

Furthermore, ladies that lunched out at least once a week lost on average of five pounds less than those who opted to eat food prepared at home.

Dr McTiernan said that while the study provided a printed booklet for the women to record their food and beverage consumption, a food journal does not have to be anything “fancy”, just accurate.

“Eating in restaurants usually means less individual control over ingredients and cooking methods, as well as larger portion sizes,” she added.