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Why Restaurants Make You Fat
Restaurant Syndrome: 1. Eat out. 2. Eat too much. 3. Feel bad. 4. Repeat. The Daily Beast’s Susan B. Roberts on why you do it—and five ways to minimize the damage.
Here is a situation that is probably familiar: You’d ideally like to lose some weight (and you definitely don’t want to gain more), but then you go to a restaurant and eat way more than you planned. The food may not even be that great, but you eat it anyway and come home feeling bad. You swear it will never happen again, but it does…again and again. You blame yourself for being weak, but that’s not the problem. You simply have what we can call Restaurant Syndrome.
The problem with eating out in America today is that it’s making us fat. Studies done at my laboratory at Tufts University showed that the relationship between eating out and weight gain is very straightforward: The more frequently you eat out the more likely you are to carry excess pounds. It doesn’t seem to matter too much where you go; statistically speaking, a healthy sandwich place seems to cause just as much overeating as fast food or your local Chinese.
Simple things like covering the bread basket with your napkin or “accidentally” spilling a little water over leftover French fries really work.
That’s bad enough, but then, after you eat out, you have to live with the self-blame (or at least most of us do). Why, why did you do it? Why didn’t you order the grilled chicken salad, or at least leave half that huge pasta serving and most of the sauce on your plate? And you really didn’t need to raid the bread basket but did it anyway, and you didn’t need the second glass of wine or the free chocolates that turned up after you thought you had finished. Whatever the reason, you are the one who ate all that food, nobody forced you, and so it’s clearly your fault…or is it?
And to make matters worse, the damage doesn’t stop there. Even if you resolve to eat better tomorrow, when tomorrow comes around you are most likely very hungry. How unfair! But it’s a fact: Because of a real if little known phenomenon called the “second meal effect,” you actually are hungrier and need to eat more at the next meal to feel adequately satisfied after a particularly delicious meal. If you lived in a society where food was only cyclically available, this would be a good thing, since the big meal would signal you on a biological level that there was food to eat, so go get it! But in a world of constantly available food (usually sold in super-large portions), this biological trigger just leads to weight gain.
Why are we prisoners of our desire when faced with a full table? Aren’t we autonomous beings with a good amount of cerebral control over our life? Actually, no, at least not when it comes to food. Our metabolism, hunger, and even the synthesis of addiction neurochemicals like dopamine are controlled by our environment. The concept that the world surrounding us actually controls our metabolism is a big thing to get your head around, but once you do, it makes dealing with food so much easier.
Here is how it works. When we see, smell, or taste something good, the sensory signals that get into our brain through our eyes, nose, and mouth activate what is known as the cephalic (preparatory) phase of digestion. Our saliva secretion increases; our blood glucose drops; our stomach muscles relax (so we have a larger stomach that needs more food in it to feel full); and our digestion accelerates (so we can put away that food more quickly to get ready for more).
And here is another important thing to know: The areas of your brain that are stimulated by the sight and smell of food in your environment are for the most part in the lower unconscious areas where willpower (which by definition is the conscious control of conscious processes) doesn’t reach. No wonder so many of us struggle with weight problems.
Which leads us to the important question of what, if anything, we can do to make it possible to eat out without overeating.
The secret comes down to putting to good use what we know about how the food in front of you controls your metabolism. Based on my experience getting weight loss working for busy people who simply can’t stop eating out just because they want to lose weight, here are five good ways to get your natural biology working for you better to avoid overeating:
1. Nip negative cycles in the bud. Sure, your natural inclination may be for something more indulgent, but a big bowl of All Bran or Fiber One Original is great diet medicine the morning after eating out, and gets you back to feeling in control sooner.
2. Eat out less frequently, even if you go out just as often. Yes, eating out less is easier and very effective, but if you can’t do that, it’s quite liberating to realize that you don’t have to eat out even if you go out. Events like work breakfasts are a great place to start. If you have a good breakfast at home before you set out, you can just nibble on some fruit and coffee, and be sociable without overeating.
3. Never arrive starving. There is nothing like the combination of hunger and eating out for sending calorie counts through the roof, so eat something satisfying before you go out. One of my patients carries two apples in her pocket, which is a great way to make sure you never have to walk into a restaurant hungry, even if an invitation comes up at the last minute.
4. Micromanage your order. What isn’t on the table doesn’t get inside your head, so micromanage your order. Simple requests like asking for dressing on the side are only the start. Just because the French onion soup usually comes with gobs of cheese and bread doesn’t mean your serving has to. And they really don’t need to put anything under that delicious spicy grilled fish or add butter on top once it is cooked.
5. Take control over the signals your eyes and nose send your brain. I know it sounds too easy to be effective, but simple things like covering the bread basket with your napkin or “accidentally” spilling a little water over leftover French fries really work.
Director of the Energy Metabolism Lab at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center and professor of Nutrition and Psychiatry at Tufts University, and author of a new approach to weight loss called The Instinct Diet, which was recently featured in The Daily Beast.
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Jacob Bernstein is a senior reporter at The Daily Beast. Previously, he was a features writer at WWD and W Magazine. He has also written for New York magazine, Paper, and The Huffington Post.
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Ha! Spilling water on your french fries reminds me of when I was a member of OA years ago. A person in the group shared that when she was home alone, she would sometimes stop a binge by "Ivory-snowing" food she had dumped in the garbage. Without the soap topping she was likely to go back and eat it out of the garbage. Know yourself!
We in NYC are fortunate to have calorie counts of most restaurant food right on the menu (or menu board). It sure helps me. I went to Chili's one night and couldn't find one damn meal under 1000 calories so I had a modest appetizer. It takes the fun out,yes, and puts common sense back in.
Why, if you live in NYC, are you eating at Chili's? I didn't even know there is a Chili's in NYC.
You can always ask for a doggy bag.
Restaurant food is good. I guess you could skip a meal or two after and drink water. I figure you count how many calories you need to maintain weight, then stay in that frame work. An extra 3,500 calories is one pound.
If you drink a 600 calorie drink at Starbucks, then skip a big meal or have soup and toast or something. Just count calories.
This comment has been removed by The Daily Beast's editors.
My wife has a trick for restaurants that I have picked up myself - when the meal arrives, set aside half for lunch the next day. If you lack the willpower, go ahead and request your doggy bag right away when the food arrives.
This plan means every bite you take of your food is one less bite you get tomorrow at lunch. It also keeps you from going out to lunch the next day and repeating the problem, because you have half of your delicious meal from the day before.
The main problem with the plan - it's difficult to order fish, salad or a burger because they don't keep well.
Food shouldnt be about numbers. You dont need to practice your math skills everytime you eat. In my opinion each person and body works differently so there is not just one right way to do/eat things. Food should be enjoyable along with common sense. people just need to re-train their brain into remembering that natural (by natural i mean food found in nature) tastes good. If you do go out to eat realize where you are going. Places like chilies are just fast food in disguise.
If you change your mindset from feeling deprived cuz you cant eat something you want to feeling satisfied when you eat healthy food it wont seem so difficult. It is actually a gain disguised as a l"loss"
Hey, Fatties:
Not only have I cut way back on eating out, I've put aside the money I would have spent. Since January of this year I've saved ten thousand dollars and still counting! No lie, and I'm saving all those silly calories. I began by ordering two appetizers instead of an entree; I stopped eating bread before the meal; and I stopped ordering desserts; and just one alcoholic beverage instead of the usual two. Oh, I eat out, still, but not as often. You can do it if I can.
I like everything except the cutting down on alcohol part. Certainly, there is another food item you can cut back on instead. It is amazing how much you can lose by cutting out the bread. That is, have the cheeseburger, but ditch the bun. Most bread on sandwiches is not worth wasting the calories.
You spent over $1500 a month on restaurant food and you have the nerve to call other people "Fatties"?!?
I always bring my calculator with me to dinner :).
It amazes me that weight is still such an acceptable form of discrimination and source of negativity in people. Would Scough's comment have been appropriate if he told an alcoholic to just stop drinking? Or someone with a handicap to stop being disabled? If it were that easy we'd all be perfect.
Everyone has their problems in life, and I am glad to know that there are biological factors that allow some to eat an entire pizza and remain thin while the mere smell of it makes my thighs get bigger. I think it would be great if more restaurants made the calorie counts available on their menu.
I Suggest reading Eat This Not That it really has some good restaurant substitutions.
I'm not overweight, and I don't diet, I'm quite lucky that way and fortunate for my luck..... And calling people "fatties" is just f*n obnoxious and rude. Maybe your mom was too busy stuffing her face or berating others to teach you that lesson; what a shame. Regarding the content of what you've said: yes, will-power seems to work well, and all the decisions you've made to cut back obviously should help. Keep it up. However, along with Wednes, I'm shocked at how much you apparently spent eating out. If you've *saved* $10,000 since Jan, that's $2000 a month you've saved. Which means......you must have previously spent how much? Put in this perspective, I would think it quite easy to save a ton of money by not eating out. If you're averaging 3- or 4- or 5000 a month on food, then just don't eat out, say, 2-3 days a week. Done. That doesn't require more than the most modest amount of will-power, much less in fact than someone struggling to shed 30, 40, or 50 pounds.
Being serious for a moment, I think restaurnants could do more with giving customers options on choosing half orders, or kid sizes, or senior sizes, that is usually what I order, and then the waitress will it is not much more to get the bigger order, and you get more food, that is what the problem is. You feel you are wasting your money, so doggy bag is less dignified but more cost effective. I am not described as fat, but I do eat. :). I don't raid the bread basket, I have two pieces of bread, usually, and then take half the meal home with me. But on a date, when I am trying to make an impression, I try for the half orders, if they are on the menu.
It's all that bread and butter before the main course.
Conspiracy Theory:
Restaurants have made a deal with heathcare to
serve Americans portions big enough for
three people, inducing all that artery clogging salty food,
rendering Americans fat asses, and candidates for all
kinds of medical care down the line.
You all eat out at terrible restaurants. Any nice restaurant is going to offer fresh, healthy, organic food with some vegetarian options. Servings are not large. Stop going to Apple Bees and learn how to cook if you're poor.
Living in Scandinavia had to start eating at home because it is so frigging expensive to eat out and they practically have heart attacks over here if you ask for a doggie bag! A total no-no! (sometimes I do it anyway which sends my husband and the everyone into a tail spin:)). It has turned into a pretty good thing and we just do an *American* style pancake breakfast (nod to our lovely country!) every other weekend. Get a cook book and give it a shot.
As Michael Pollan has said, the science of nutrition today is where surgery was in the 1600s. Interesting to watch but you wouldn't want to be the guy on the table. Susan Roberts proves this by coming up with yet more rigmarole about why we are fat. Now its the restaurant's fault. Well professor, a calorie consumed in a restaurant won't make you any fatter than a calorie consumed at home.
Living in Asia I also experience sticker shock when eating out--so we usually go out once or twice a week. Although the portions aren't absurd like the big chains restaurants in the US (Mimi's, Claim Jumper, etc.) I also order two appetizers and skip the dessert. We are also able to take home the wine if we do not finish it--which we usually do not. So we have one half of the bottle the first night and the second half the next night.
I think it depends on what part of Asia you live in. Japan is pretty expensive. I live in korea, and $10 can buy you a S**t load of food here. Better yet south east Asia can be rediculusly cheap and delicious.
As for Susan B. Roberts. Her "instinct diet" is really hard to do here. A lot of the recipes she has call for things that you just can't get in grocery stores here. There are a lot of wheat based grains in her recipes, but everything here is rice. I also think that most of the weight loss on the instinct diet comes from the act of making all of the food. its not easy
I live in Korea, too, and the rice is a real problem for me. Usually after a full day's work I'm not up to much cooking, and the restaurant food is cheap and tasty, but everything comes with a big ol' pile of white rice. I need to improve my Korean so I can make my orders more specific. :)
Most Korean phrase books have "dog, no rice" on the first couple of pages. Learn it and slim down.
Wow, funny.
Eat less.
And ask for a take-home box.
"One of my patients carries two apples in her pocket"
Wow, those are big pockets.
With Behind the Burner you can get the best tips, tricks and techniques from experts to create restaurant quality experiences at home so you can control your calorie intake?
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