WHAT IS ONE OUT OF 2 WOMEN’S WORST “NIGHTMARE”? TWO THOUSAND CALORIES FOR DINNER AT A RESTAURANT: ONE-QUARTER AVOIDS EATING OUT BUT TWO THIRDS “INDULGE”, REVEALS A SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE COMPANY THAT PRODUCES WEIGHT LOSS PILLS

Dessert is the knockout, but the main meal undermines their diet by adding up to 600 calories more than food prepared at home. Not to forget starters and the tendency to drink more, an extra glass of wine or two and perhaps even an after dinner drink to finish off the meal with a bang. Women “tremble” at the thought of dinner at a restaurant, so much so that 50% feel guilty entering a restaurant, a fourth avoid it and two-thirds, once they are “trapped”, fear they will indulge in a piece of cheesecake or an irresistible chocolate mousse. The company that produces the diet pill Alli commissioned a survey of 2 thousand people to reveal women’s fears and distrust about dining out. The company Alli declared that, in short, the restaurant becomes the “enemy” for women and the fair sex is right: one might “eat” up to 2.000 calories more at a restaurant.

“When you cook at home it is much easier to control the amount of fat and calories”, explained Dawn Harper, GP of Gloucester to the Daily Mail, “but eating with friends should be a pleasant experience, not something scary”. What most intimidates women is not being able to count the calories on their plate. Even if they opt for apparently healthy and light food, they can never be sure of how many grams of fat there are. Almost two thirds, however, despite the best intentions, know they will eventually give in to a dish too tasty to pass up. A third blames the restaurant for huge portions compared to home made meals.

The most feared “blessing and curse” restaurants are Chinese and Indian. Tandoori chicken and spring rolls put a strain on women, who after a meal in a restaurant - whatever nationality – cut way down on calorie intake for the rest of the week (about 50% of respondents).