Menu Calorie Counts Don't Change Eating Habits
Categories: Diet & Weight Loss
The addition of calorie counts to menu boards at fast food restaurants in NYC has been generally regarded as a controversial-yet-monumental step in conquering obesity -- so it's a little bit disappointing that a study recently found that they don't actually work in low income neighborhoods.
The study, published in the journal Health Affairs, found that only half of the 1,156 consumers questioned actually noticed the nutritional information, and of those, only a quarter said that it made a difference in their food choices. That's not all -- the researchers charted data from both before and after the labeling scheme was introduced and found that the average amount of calories consumed by each patron actually went slightly up.
"We did not find evidence in our sample that menu labeling influenced the total number of calories purchased at the population level," concluded lead author Brian Elbel, adding "menu labels may need to be coupled with additional policy approaches."
But NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg is standing by the decision to include calorie counts on menus. "At least the public has information and that's the government's job -- to make sure that the public has information," Reuters reported him saying. Still, at the end of the day, it's up to each of us to make the right choice for our health.
So, should calorie counts be on menus in other places, too, or should we just cut our loses?
The study, published in the journal Health Affairs, found that only half of the 1,156 consumers questioned actually noticed the nutritional information, and of those, only a quarter said that it made a difference in their food choices. That's not all -- the researchers charted data from both before and after the labeling scheme was introduced and found that the average amount of calories consumed by each patron actually went slightly up.
"We did not find evidence in our sample that menu labeling influenced the total number of calories purchased at the population level," concluded lead author Brian Elbel, adding "menu labels may need to be coupled with additional policy approaches."
But NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg is standing by the decision to include calorie counts on menus. "At least the public has information and that's the government's job -- to make sure that the public has information," Reuters reported him saying. Still, at the end of the day, it's up to each of us to make the right choice for our health.
So, should calorie counts be on menus in other places, too, or should we just cut our loses?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Joanna 10-09-2009 @ 12:53PM
I think having them on the menus is debatable, but more places should be required to provide nutritional information at least online. Because I'm counting calories, I don't feel comfortable going somewhere without that information. At some point I hope to be able to branch out because I'd like to go to more local places, but chains and things that just don't provide that info are losing out on me.
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Bagman520 10-11-2009 @ 6:44PM
To the editors:
*THANK YOU* for including the number of votes cast for each poll choice in the results!! You obviously understand that the percentage of votes cast one way or another is an empty statistic if it doesn't tell us how many responders make up that percentage. To know that the vote was, for instance, 68% to 32% is meaningless without knowing how many votes were cast. If only 100 readers visited and the vote was 68-32 that's just 68 votes for putting calorie counts on menus. But if 10,000 readers responded and 6,800 of those folks - which is 68% of those ten thousand who voted in favor of having menus include calorie counts - then that's actually saying something, isn't it? And it gets more impressive as the number of voters gets bigger. If twenty thousand votes are cast and 68% say Yes!...that's 13,600 people who say that restaurants should print calorie counts on menus, which is a lot more than the 68 individuals implied in the plain percentage quote. I'm glad you got that, and again, *Thank you*!!
Bernie520
Seattle, WA
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