The Link Between Eating Out and Earlier Death

There’s a reason most of us are willing to spend a little extra for the experience of eating out; the food alone is usually worth it, let alone not having to worry about any clean-up afterward. And if we're lucky the company puts it over the top into one of many Americans' favorite ways to spend an evening.

As it turns out, the price we pay may be even steeper than we ever realized. Research shows strong connections between the frequency a person eats out and their chances of dying an early death. Yeah, really.

The Price of Convenience

We might choose to eat out for multiple reasons, but convenience is at the top of most lists. Why spend an hour or two dirtying up the kitchen when we just have to turn around and clean it up? 

Most restaurants are concerned with flavor and presentation, not how much saturated fat or sodium they add to their meals. And of course, increasing the fat and sodium often makes us like it more so there isn't much incentive to cut back, either. The ingredients might be fresh, and the food may be delicious, but it’s also probably riddled with ingredients sure to clog the arteries and increase inflammation.

A recent study, which appeared in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, followed 35,084 participants for an average of eight years. During that time, 511 subjects died of cardiovascular disease, and 638 died from cancer. An analysis that accounted for other lifestyle factors showed that eating out at least twice each day compared to eating out just once a week could significantly increase a person’s chances of dying from heart disease or cancer. The risks of dying from all other preventable causes also increased.

Minimizing the Risks

These findings only reinforce what experts have been saying for years now: We all need to take a serious look at our diets if we want to live as long and well as possible. How often we eat out is just one of several factors we should work to control, but no matter what, our overall nutrition should be at the top of that priority list.

We all probably need to increase the frequency with which we make our own meals at home, but some people have no choice but to eat out often. What then? They can reduce the negative impacts by keeping a few considerations in mind:

• Choose the right place by considering that some food types are almost certainly going to have high levels of fat and sodium.
• Check out the menu ahead of time and know which choices are the healthiest before even entering the restaurant — this makes self-control easier.
• Pass on the bread, and start with a salad or broth-based soup instead.
• Avoid high-calorie drinks, such as soda and alcohol, and opt for water instead.
• Order first. It makes it harder to say, “I’ll have what they’re having,” after a friend orders the chicken-fried steak with mashed potatoes and extra gravy and a margarita to wash it all down.
• Look for grilled options over fried ones, and seek out steamed or lightly sauteed veggies over fries or mashed potatoes. The more veggies on your plate, the better.
• Eat slowly and mindfully to reduce the chances of overindulging.
• Ask the server for a to-go box immediately upon receiving your plate and move half of your meal from your plate to the container before you begin eating.
• Pass on the dessert. If everyone else is extending the meal, enjoy a cup of coffee or fresh fruit instead of a piece of cheesecake or brownie topped with ice cream. Remember, eating out shouldn’t be an excuse to go crazy, especially if it’s a regular event. 

Dining out can be a real experience, but all those rich foods might have the power to shave years off a person’s life. The connection is there, but we don’t have to go down without a fight. Small adjustments now could make a big difference later. Consider eating out infrequently and it can start to feel like a treat again.

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