Why women have no appetite for eating out: Counting calories is too hard... and dessert is too tempting

It should feel like a treat - the chance to escape both the chore of preparing a meal and the resulting washing up.

But many women have come to dread the prospect of dining at restaurants because they can't work out the calorie content of the food and end up eating more than they normally would.

Even if they opt for seemingly healthy dishes, they can never be sure how many grams of fat are in the salad dressing or whether the fish was coated in oil before being grilled.

Nearly half of women admit to feeling guilty after going to a restaurant while a quarter try to avoid it altogether, a survey has found.

Almost two-thirds fear that despite their best efforts, they will ultimately succumb to the calorie-laden options on the menu - such as sticky toffee puddings or strawberry cheesecakes.

And a third worry they will end up eating far more than they do at home because the portions are so much larger, the survey by Alli, the slimming pill firm found. Many will eat more than twice as many calories by choosing a starter, main, and dessert plus several glasses of wine. And by including coffee in this, women could consume more than 2,000 calories - the recommended daily allowance. 

 

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