SubscribeFast Food vs Full-Service Restaurants: Which is Better?
New research shows that people who live in areas with more full-service restaurants tend to be thinner.
Those who live in areas with a high ratio of fast-food restaurants tend to be heavier.
So it seems it's not just about eating out - it's the way we are eating out.
In 1940
- 15% of food dollars were spent at restaurants
- 40% of food dollars spent at restaurants (three-quarters of which were at a fast-food restaurant).
The research (abstract) looked at data from over 714,000 people. The following conclusions were made (emphasis added):
[...]it is the availability of fast-food relative to other away-from-home choices that appears salient for unhealthy weight outcomes. Areas with a high density of full-service restaurants were indicative of a more healthful eating environment, suggesting a need for research into the comparative healthfulness of foods served at different types of restaurants.
Full-service restaurants serve food that is calorie-dense (what kind of chef counts calories?) - but we eat the food differently. Fast-food is served quickly - and eaten quickly - and tends to be highly processed.
Fast-food is all about supply and demand. Those counties that are overrun with fast-food outlets obviously enjoy eating it. So who is to blame? But then who can compete with the colossal and overbearing marketing efforts that assail us daily from the fast-food giants?
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oh, forgot to mention my "opinion" on both kinds of restaurants. i say many full-dine restaurants are healthier than most fast food. Mainly because you can have it more custom made to how you like it. chances are, its not pre-packaged food like fast food. and you don't have to order dessert, soft drinks etc. if so, share the dessert. i do it w/ my BF on occassion. be smart about your chhoices!
ReplyI'm kind of a let's get going right now kind of person. I like to get things over with and not take too much time places. Sitting down at restaurants drives me insane. If I had to choose I would definitely pick eating in the car. Even though the food isn't the best quality, I would pick a fast food restaurant every time.
ReplyI can't believe there's only one comment here about economic status-- if this study is about people in areas with more fast food restaurants, it could be very related to urban areas with lower income residents. It's why you see so many childhood obesity billboards in Oakland, but maybe not so much in San Francisco. There's way more going on than just a "does Chili's food have more calories than McDonalds" type inquirity.
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