Eating out and getting fat? A comparative study between urban and rural China

In parallel with the increased prevalence of overweight and obesity, the rate of food away from home (FAFH) consumption in China has increased notably in recent years. Under the long-term urban-rural dual structure in China, the purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of FAFH consumption on body mass index (BMI) by a comparative study between rural and urban areas, using 26,244 subjects from the 2004-2011 China Health and Nutrition Survey. The results indicated that urban residents have a higher rate of FAFH consumption than rural residents with the difference narrowing over time. The empirical results illustrated that the frequency of meals consumed away from home had a significantly positive effect on BMI in urban China, whereas no significant association was observed in rural China. The urban-rural difference resulted from different levels of surplus energy, which was mainly due to the different labor intensity among rural and urban residents.