Restaurant fare no healthier than fast food.

• Position: Dining Out - Brief article

As obesity rates have risen, so, too, has household spending on food away from home, particularly restaurant food. Consumers tend to think of sit-down restaurants as offering healthier options than fast-food venues, but there is little evidence to support that idea. In a study of nutritional values for menu items at sit-down chain restaurants, researchers at Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pa., determined the healthfulness of food in various menu categories, including the restaurants' "healthy choice" offerings. They report that an average restaurant meal is not very healthy at all.

The study was led by Amy Auchincloss, assistant professor in the School of Public Health, who found that calories and nutrients often exceed appropriate levels for a single meal and even exceed recommended daily limits for sodium and saturated fat.

Most adults only...