How do we fight obesity? That's the question being asked just about everywhere these days and one popular idea is to have a little more transparency in the foods we're eating. It makes sense to have calorie information posted on menus so we have a clear idea of what we're actually getting when we order that cheeseburger as opposed to that grilled chicken salad.
New York did it back in 2008 and, last year, the health care reform bill called for the same thing, calorie counts posted for all restaurants with more than 20 chains.
Now, the question is, is this really working? In some cases, it's not, according to a recent study published in the International Journal of Obesity. In the study, researchers surveyed 427 parents and teens at fast food restaurants in both New York City and Newark before and after mandatory labeling began. They found that only 9% of teens and 28% of adults said the calorie information influenced their choices. Even worse, researchers found there was no change in the number of calories purchased by either group after labeling went into affect.
In fact, they found that teens purchased about 725 calories while parents purchased about 600 calories for their children and that most of the teenagers surveyed underestimated the amount of calories they had purchased, some by up to 466 calories.
So, what does this mean? As the researchers suggest, calorie labels aren't going to be enough to influence obesity in a large scale way, but does that mean it's completely useless? I know that, for health-conscious people, knowing the calories they're getting is important information, but what about people who aren't as health-conscious? From this rather small survey, we can see that some people didn't even notice the calorie information and that only a small number who did actually used that information to make different choices, which is disappointing. Maybe we wouldn't expect teens to worry as much about eating healthy, but we do want parents to make better choices for their kids.
I'm curious about what you think. Is putting calorie information at restaurants a good idea? Does that kind of information influence your choices? Are there people who just don't think about the number of calories they're eating, no matter what information is available? Leave a comment and tell us what you think about calorie labeling.
I, for one, don’t even believe the calories posted by restaurants are accurate. Case in point, a fast-food chain near my house will sell you a certain high-calorie hamburger for only a buck on Mondays. This same burger usually sells for over 3 dollars during the week. But it will have almost no condiments if you buy it on a Monday, and be be slathered with condiments on other days of the week. The advertised calorie count doesn’t change. So, even though burgers are not the healthiest choice, the ones bought on Mondays may not be quite as bad for you.
Yes, it absolutely does matter to me. I know it may be overboard, but if I ever eat fast food, I use the restaurant’s website to check calories. As for the study, I think the people they surveyed went to the fast food restaurant to partake in fast food-level calorie consumption and didn’t care about the information–it might be fair to say that people who are more calorie-conscious might stay away altogether, and in a different type of restaurant, calorie information might have more weight (pun intended).
I think it is good to have the information readily available to those who want to see it I, personally, don’t care a lot about the calories in fast food. If I’m eating fast food, I know I am eating junk. I expect it to be loaded with fat, sugar, and lots of calories. Same goes for any restaurant food, for that matter. It’s okay — a meal out is the exception for me rather than the norm. If I had to eat at restaurants regularly, I’d probably care more.
It absolutely helps me. I choose to save the calories, cook myself something I like that I know what the calories are and save the cash for something better than a meal that adds weight.
Keep the calorie labeling. It takes new practices awhile to catch on and become habit. I prefer to have hope that when it’s in their face long enough people will notice and start to think about it. …At least for those eating out often. For me, I only eat restaurant food once a month…and NOT at a fast food joint…so it’s not a critical issue. I count calories, fat, fiber and protein at home in a journal every day so I’m well aware of what’s in restaurant food.
I completely believe having calorie information is essential. I have lost 90 Ibs due to a change in diet and adding exercise to my life. If it weren’t for the caloric information provided to me I would have never been successful. Not only does it help me in making proper food choices, but helps me to portion control my meals. I couldn’t live without it!
Like many busy Americans, I fight (and am winning!) the battle of the bulge. I greatly appreciate the calorie information and it definitely influences my choices because food that “sounds” healthy often is not. However, the original purpose of listing calories was to target obese Americans and guilt trip them into making healthy choices. An overweight or obese person needs to make the decision to eat healthy on their own. The government cannot force them into changing their lives if they are not ready. So, for selfish reasons, I hope we keep the calorie labeling. However, I recognize that it has not been entirely successful at reducing obesity.
The calorie information absolutely helps. Of course you expect fast food to be unhealthy, but I was shocked to find out exactly how unhealthy it is. Thanks to the calorie labelling — not only at fast food places but also at chain restaurants — I am making better food choices and have recently lost about 20 lbs.
It takes a while for trends to catch on. I believe — eventually — the majority of Americans will start taking ownership of their diets again.
I think calorie content is important, most people out there don’t. That’s why they’re obese. Most want to be a healthy weight, but have concluded that it’s too hard to achieve. I have struggled with my weight for many years and I do count calories and exercise daily. Due to hypothyroidism I may exercise enough to lose 5 lbs. in a week and may only lose .5-1 lb. It is very discouraging but I need to keep pushing along. With that said calroies in matters a lot.
like many of the posts above, i don’t see a reason to stop offering the option of nutrition information for restaurant foods. the people who want the information will use it to make a decision, and the people who don’t care will eat what they want anyway. before this became a big deal, many restaurants would give you the nutrition info if you asked for it and if they did indeed have it available. but not many people would actually ask for it.
Calorie information is critical to weight management. I have a 60/40 theory: 60% Nutrition / 40% exercise and fitness. Great article.
Overall, I think it’s quite obvious that the average person does not care what is in their food.
Certainly somone with a medical condition such as diabetes might care though even then it probably winds up in a 50/50 breakdown. And there is always the random person who is obsessive about label watching. In no way can these people be considered average.
I think what people are going to find is that over time, more and more restrictive rules will be put in place first starting with food, then moving on to other areas of our lives so that people who generally have not clue one about what they speak of can enforce their morals on the rest of us.
I think it’s a great idea for restaurants to display nutrition info if they CHOOSE to. But I strongly object to our elected officials attempting to force this. Every single one of us knows that a Big Mac and fries is loaded with bad stuff. Every single one of us.
I LOVE when restaurants include the calorie content! I get lunch from PAX in NYC almost daily. The calories in everything they serve are listed. I have always been conscious of caloric intake but seeing it daily on a variety of items really helps you realize how many calories are in the food you eat, or may eat.
Pam
One’s metabolism can change over time, so even though I monitor my caloric intake for each meal, I govern my diet according to my weight, which I monitor on a daily basis. The calorie count provided for prepared food is useful for deciding what to eat at the time, but as I’ve said, my weight is ultimately my driving force.
I love the calorie posting in fast food and chain restaurants. Although the counts may not be accurate (I think there is a variation of about 20%), we still get a good idea about how much we are about to ingest. Since calorie posting started in our state, I have chosen healthier meals, shared meals with friends, and on many occasions walked out of a restaurant because I did not find anything that fit my expectation. I am more aware of the amount of sodium and hidden fat in a sandwich or entree – these are usually available on restaurant websites – so I make sure I look it up before I go to my restaurant of choice. Nowadays, I have become so used to ordering food based on calorie counts, that sometimes I don’t feel like eating in a restaurant that does not post them (such as ethnic restaurants). Having said all this, I do not eat out very often – perhaps 0-3 times a month, but I want to make sure that each time I do, I am choosing food that does the least harm to my body.