Eating much of take-out food increases consumers’ risk of death: Research

*Experts encourage consumers to prepare more of their meals at home, stating that those who primarily eat take-out food are at an increased risk of death generally, besides particular death from heart disease or cancer

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

Going out to have a nice meal can be a great way for consumers to celebrate a special occasion or spend quality time with their family members and friends.

However, a fresh study may have some consumers rethinking how often they are eating food prepared outside of their homes in recent times.

According to researchers, eating a lot of take-out, whether that’s eating in a restaurant or ordering food to-go, may increase a person’s risk of dying. How?

Instead, experts maintain that consumers should make a conscious effort at preparing the majority of their meals at home.

Researcher Dr. Wei Bao said: “This is one of the first studies to quantify the association between eating out and mortality.

“Our findings, in line with previous studies, support that eating out frequently is associated with adverse health consequences and may inform future dietary guidelines to recommend reducing consumption of meals prepared away from the home.”

In investigating how cooking at home can have health benefits, and understanding what effect eating take-out food had on mortality, the researchers analysed 15 years’ worth of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Participants answered questions about their eating habits, and the researchers then followed up by looking at death records linked to a number of different causes.

They learned that participants who primarily ate take-out food were at an increased risk of death in general, as well as death from heart disease or cancer.

Compared to those who ate fewer than one meal per week that was prepared outside the home, those who ate two or more take-out meals per day were nearly 1.5 times more likely to die from any cause and nearly 1.7 times more likely to die from cancer.

The researchers wrote: “The take-home message is that frequent consumption of meals prepared away from home may not be a healthy habit.

“Instead, people should be encouraged to consider preparing more meals at home.”

The adverse health effects incurred from eating a lot of take-out food likely stems from the quality of food served at many restaurants, researchers stated.

According to them, though a lot of establishments offer healthier options, it is impossible for consumers to completely control what’s going into their meals when someone else prepares the food.

Going forward, the research team recommends that healthcare professionals do their part to encourage healthy eating, both inside and outside the home.

Linda G. Snetselarr, Ph.D, one of the researchers, said: “It is important to note that the study design for this research examines associations between frequency of eating meals prepared away from home and mortality.

“While encouraging clients to consider preparing healthy meals at home, registered dietitian nutritionists might also focus on how selections from restaurant menus can be healthy.

“Tailoring strategies to each client by reviewing menus from restaurants they frequent can help them make healthy food choices.”

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