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May Chan

Study links fatness and eating out
Heavy breakfasts eaten out are the main culprit behind bigger waistlines, more body fat and high blood pressure, Chinese University has concluded from a study of more than 1,000 overweight people.
Food taken at breakfast tended to be stored as fat because of low blood glucose in the body after hours of sleep with no food intake, said Mandy Man Mei-sea, manager and principal nutritionist of the university's Centre for Nutritional Studies.
'We found that for women, eating out at breakfast increased the chances of obesity, especially around the middle,' Dr Man said.
'For men, that also meant a higher chance of getting hypertension and high blood pressure because they tend to eat less vegetables and fruits compared to women.'
The study covered 1,059 patients, aged 18 to 79, who were at the centre from 2006 to this year.
The 824  women on average weighed 67.6kg and had a waistline of 85.7cm. The 235 males weighed 85.8kg and had a waistline of 99cm on average. And 75 per cent of the  participants ate out at least once a week.
After changing their dietary habits - eating breakfast at home and avoiding fried dishes and meat - the average weight dropped to 60.7kg for women and 77.5kg for men. Waistlines also shrunk by more than 10cm.
Dr Man noted a strong link between fatness and eating out, particularly breakfasts.
'It can make a big difference if you eat a light breakfast and eat out less often. Like our patients, they lose more than 20, 30 or 40 pounds [18kg] just by eating right,' she said.
She also blamed unhealthy and limited choices offered by restaurants as another reason for the undesirable effects of breakfasts.
'For example, a typical breakfast set comprises a bowl of oatmeal, buttered toast, an omelette or fried fish fillet and a drink,' Dr Man said.
'That already makes up for more than a third of the daily calorie intake, not to mention the fat and sodium content. I don't see healthy breakfast options available at restaurants, even at those which have joined the EatSmart campaign to offer healthy dishes.'
People should make their own breakfasts as much  as possible, Dr Man said.
She recommended congee, noodles cooked in soup, cereals with skimmed milk or simple sandwiches in the morning.
For people who cannot help eating out, she advised against ordering breakfast sets, which often contained more than one needed to eat.
Eating out for dinner is also significantly related to an obesity risk, whereas eating out at lunch is only associated with body weight, not body fatness or wider waists.
Dr Man encouraged people to dine out less, and to avoid eating too much meat and fried dishes.
'I understand that it is not possible for Hongkongers to avoid eating out because of the tense and busy lifestyle in the city,' she said. 'So it is even more important that people should make right choices about what they eat.'



Eating breakfast out blamed for growing girths