ArticleBMJ (Clinical research ed.)2018
Measured energy content of frequently purchased restaurant meals: multi-country cross sectional study.
Article in BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 35 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
35 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Healthy eating interventions conducted in small, local restaurants and hot food takeaways: a systematic review.Public health nutrition · 2025Pooled it
- Barriers and facilitators to implementation of menu labelling interventions from a food service industry perspective: a mixed methods systematic review.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2020Pooled it
- Progress Evaluation for Transnational Restaurant Chains to Reformulate Products and Standardize Portions to Meet Healthy Dietary Guidelines and Reduce Obesity and Non-Communicable Disease Risks, 2000-2018: A Scoping and Systematic Review to Inform Policy.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2019Pooled it
- Polygenic risk score for obesity and the quality, quantity, and timing of workplace food purchases: A secondary analysis from the ChooseWell 365 randomized trial.PLoS medicine · 2020Trial
- Testing the efficacy of and parents' preferences for nutrition labels on children's menus from a full-service chain restaurant: results of an online experiment.Public health nutrition · 2020Trial
- Assessing food procurement greenhouse gas emissions and food waste in UK fine dining.Cleaner food systems · 2026Article
- Longitudinal reversals and evolving patterns of the double burden of malnutrition among adults in Southwest China: a population-based cohort study.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- Bundled behavioural strategies for long-term weight maintenance in Chinese patients with overweight or obesity.Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition · 2025Article
- Neighbourhood out-of-home food environment, menu healthiness, and their associations with meal purchasing and diet quality: a multiverse analysis.Nutrition journal · 2025Article
- Total Fat and Fatty Acid Content in Meals Served by Independent Takeaway Outlets Participating in the Healthier Catering Commitment Initiative in London, UK.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- Selected health characteristics are associated with urban Canadians' acceptability of policies promoting healthier restaurant food environments.Public health nutrition · 2024Article
- Article
- Effectiveness of workplace choice architecture modification for healthy eating and daily physical activity.BMC public health · 2024Article
- Unhealthy diets increase the likelihood of being overweight or obese among African migrant students in China, but not among African non-migrant students: a cross-sectional study.Frontiers in nutrition · 2024Article
- Article
- Preparation procedures of food and beverage samples for oxygen bomb calorimetry: A scoping review and reporting checklist.Journal of food and drug analysis · 2023Article
- Kilocalorie labelling in the out-of-home sector: an observational study of business practices and consumer behaviour prior to implementation of the mandatory calorie labelling policy in England, 2022.BMC public health · 2023Observational
- Article
- Energy labelling of alcoholic drinks: An important or inconsequential obesity policy?Obesity science & practice · 2023Review
- Is the effect of menu energy labelling on consumer behaviour equitable? A pooled analysis of twelve randomized control experiments.Appetite · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
20 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo measure the energy content of frequently ordered meals from full service and fast food restaurants in five countries and compare values with US data.
designCross sectional survey.
setting223 meals from 111 randomly selected full service and fast food restaurants serving popular cuisines in Brazil, China, Finland, Ghana, and India were the primary sampling unit; 10 meals from five worksite canteens were also studied in Finland. The observational unit was frequently ordered meals in selected restaurants.
main outcome measureMeal energy content, measured by bomb calorimetry.
resultsCompared with the US, weighted mean energy of restaurant meals was lower only in China (719 (95% confidence interval 646 to 799) kcal versus 1088 (1002 to 1181) kcal; P<0.001). In analysis of variance models, fast food contained 33% less energy than full service meals (P<0.001). In Finland, worksite canteens provided 25% less energy than full service and fast food restaurants (mean 880 (SD 156) versus 1166 (298); P=0.009). Country, restaurant type, number of meal components, and meal weight predicted meal energy in a factorial analysis of variance (R
conclusionVery high dietary energy content of both full service and fast food restaurant meals is a widespread phenomenon that is probably supporting global obesity and provides a valid intervention target.
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