Women Eat More When Eating Out

A new study from the School of Nursing at the University of Texas/Austin finds that women who eat out frequently tend to consume more calories and fat when dining out, no matter how they usually eat at home.

This pattern held constant for women classified as binge eaters and dieters. Both groups, who ate out at least seven of the 14 days of the study, were found to eat an extra 200-300 calories per day on the days they ate out.

If you ate out 26 weeks of the year, that would translate to about a 12-13 pound weight gain, every year. (And keep in mind, the more you weigh, the more you eat to maintain that weight, so the weight gain might be 13 pounds the first year, and 15 the next, and so on).

Even in those women who skipped dessert, they consumed extra drinks or appetizers or more of their main meal, which translated to 200-300 more calories and about 16 grams more fat per meal.

Weight gain and fatty foods both can have negative impact on your skin. Gaining weight may lead to stretch marks, breakdown of the skin, and cellulite.

Eating a lot of fatty foods tends to mean you aren't getting enough of the other vitamins and minerals your body and skin may need to perform at their best. Also, eating a high fat diet can decrease blood circulation, leading to dull skin, or skin which is oily or begins to break out (along with other medical problems).

A good rule of thumb may be to limit your eating out and to better manage your food choices when you do. Stick with an exercise program, as this can help keep your weight in check. Weight management is an ongoing challenge for all of us, especially when dining out.