One big reason Americans are broke and overweight, by Catey Hill.

One in four Americans confessed that they dined out too much last year … What’s more, the No. 1 thing Americans bust their budget on is dining out …

People who eat out a lot tend to underestimate what this will cost them … The reality is that we’re spending thousands dining out: Government data shows that in 2017 American spent more than $3,300 a year on dining out — a 6.7% increase just from the year prior. …

And Gallup data from last year showed that six in 10 Americans ate dinner out at least once in last week with 16% saying their did it three or more times a week. …

On days when Americans eat out, they scarf an average of 200 more calories than when they eat at home … Furthermore, government research reveals that “when eating out, people either eat more or eat higher calorie foods — or both — and that this tendency appears to be increasing” and additional studies have found that dining out is associated with obesity and more body fat.