Abstract
Background
Excess energy intake from meals consumed away from home is implicated as a major contributor
to obesity, and ∼50% of US restaurants are individual or small-chain (non–chain) establishments
that do not provide nutrition information.
Objective
To measure the energy content of frequently ordered meals in non–chain restaurants
in three US locations, and compare with the energy content of meals from large-chain
restaurants, energy requirements, and food database information.
Design
A multisite random-sampling protocol was used to measure the energy contents of the
most frequently ordered meals from the most popular cuisines in non–chain restaurants,
together with equivalent meals from large-chain restaurants.
Setting
Meals were obtained from restaurants in San Francisco, CA; Boston, MA; and Little
Rock, AR, between 2011 and 2014.
Main outcome measures
Meal energy content determined by bomb calorimetry.
Statistical analysis performed
Regional and cuisine differences were assessed using a mixed model with restaurant
nested within region×cuisine as the random factor. Paired t tests were used to evaluate differences between non–chain and chain meals, human
energy requirements, and food database values.
Results
Meals from non–chain restaurants contained 1,205±465 kcal/meal, amounts that were
not significantly different from equivalent meals from large-chain restaurants (+5.1%;
P=0.41). There was a significant effect of cuisine on non–chain meal energy, and three
of the four most popular cuisines (American, Italian, and Chinese) had the highest
mean energy (1,495 kcal/meal). Ninety-two percent of meals exceeded typical energy
requirements for a single eating occasion.
Conclusions
Non–chain restaurants lacking nutrition information serve amounts of energy that are
typically far in excess of human energy requirements for single eating occasions,
and are equivalent to amounts served by the large-chain restaurants that have previously
been criticized for providing excess energy. Restaurants in general, rather than specific
categories of restaurant, expose patrons to excessive portions that induce overeating
through established biological mechanisms.
Keywords
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Biography
L. E. Urban is a scientist, Gelesis Inc, Boston, MA; at the time of the study, she was a postdoctoral scholar, Energy Metabolism Laboratory, Jean Mayer US Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA.
Biography
J. L. Weber is an associate professor of pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock.
Biography
R. L. Schichtl is a nutrition instructor, Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock.
Biography
M. B. Heyman is a professor of clinical pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco.
Biography
S. Verstraete is a fellow, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco.
Biography
N. S. Lowery is a student, Physician Assistant program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA; at the time of the study, she was a research assistant, Energy Metabolism Laboratory, Jean Mayer US Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA.
Biography
S. K. Das is a scientist I, Energy Metabolism Laboratory, Jean Mayer US Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston MA.
Biography
S. B. Roberts is a senior scientist and director, Energy Metabolism Laboratory, Jean Mayer US Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston MA.
Biography
G. Rogers is a senior statistician, Nutritional Epidemiology Program, Jean Mayer US Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston MA.
Biography
C. Economos is an associate professor, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston MA.
Biography
W. A. Masters is a professor, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston MA.
Biography
M. M. Schleicher is coordinator, Office of Research Subject Protection, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA; at the time of the study, she was a senior research coordinator, Energy Metabolism Laboratory, Jean Mayer US Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA.
Article info
Publication history
Published online: January 20, 2016
Accepted:
November 24,
2015
Received:
May 11,
2015
Footnotes
Supplementary materials: Tables 1, 3, and 4 are available at www.andjrnl.org
STATEMENT OF POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
FUNDING/SUPPORT Supported by the USDA under agreement nos. 58-1950-0-0014 and 1950-51000-072-02S with Tufts University. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the USDA. This research was supported, in part, with funding from the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Research Institute and in part by National Institutes of Health grant no. DK00776.
Identification
Copyright
© 2016 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
