Have you ever lied about how much you eat? The answer may be yes! One study showed that everyone eats an average of 3 cheeseburgers a day more than they admit!
Compare energy intake and expenditure
Three cheeseburgers, 5 pints of beer, but also 18 apples or 300 cherry tomatoes – that’s the equivalent of 900 calories! That’s the amount each of us would consume, per day, over and above what we dare to admit.
The study was carried out by researchers at the University of Essex in the UK. It was published in Science Daily on May 19.
The scientists studied a total of 221 adults of varying weights, with an average age of 53. The aim was to find out whether obese or overweight people tended to under-report their food intake more, as previous studies had suggested.
The daily energy intake and total energy expenditure of each patient were analyzed. Patients were asked to keep a food diary, and urine analyses were carried out on each of the 4 days of the experiment using radioactive water.
They all lied!
« On an absolute basis, self-reported energy intake was significantly lower than measured total energy expenditure. We identified significantly greater under-reporting in obese individuals, in the most active individuals and in the youngest individuals, which are all categories with higher energy requirements », explain the University of Essex experts.
The difference between reported meals and actual intake is then greater in obese people, but they actually burn more calories than non-obese people.
The conclusion is simple: they all lied! The researchers do, however, have reservations about their own study, since access to food is unequal across the population. Here, participants « lived in relatively affluent areas ».
They add that « participants were voluntarily taking part in a diet survey, therefore, the sample may have been biased towards the health-conscious. »
A study, a moral
In the future, Professor Gavin Sandercock, who took part in the study, hopes that the government will be able to review its rhetoric and strategies for tackling obesity.
« Changing the discourse around obese people lying about their energy intake could change the focus of studies on dietary risk factors for obesity, such as energy-dense foods, processed foods, high-fat, low-fiber foods and sugary drinks, all of which lead to high energy intake. », he explains.