Nearly
60% Of People Use Nutrition Info on Menus
July 10, 2014
A CDC report shows nearly 6 out of 10 people use menu labels
Sian Kennedy
New report
suggests people are paying attention to menu labels
A new report from the
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows 57% of U.S. adults
over 18 use menu labeling information like calorie counts to make their orders.
The researchers looked at surveys from 17 states and found that women were more
likely to use menu labels, and that labeling helps customers pick lower-calorie
options. A 2010 federal law requires restaurants that have at least 20
locations to list calorie information on their menus (though regulations to
implement the law have still not been finalized).
The new study is important, because it shows that Americans
actually do care about menu labels, though perhaps only by a slight majority. Several
earlier studies have shown the opposite. For instance, a 2012
study concluded calorie
listings would have little impact on the obesity epidemic. Another 2013 study
published in theAmerican Journal of Public Health, examined the
receipts of 1,100 McDonald’s diners. Some of the participants were given
calorie information as well as education about how many calories are
recommended for men and women and others were given no information. Both groups
ate more than the recommended amount of calories, and there were no differences
between the groups, suggesting people underestimate what they’re eating, even
with calorie numbers.
All of which means that while it’s great consumers are
looking at calorie counts, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are acting on the
information.
There are a few criticisms of nutrition labeling in fast
food restaurants. Two Johns Hopkins obesity experts wrote an editorial in the New
England Journal of Medicine last year arguing that without any
context, people have no idea how many calories they should be eating, making
the data essentially meaningless. Some researchers have suggested that health
authorities use other measurements, likehow much physical activity it would take
to burn off a 550 calorie burger. Finally, a focus on calories, say some
experts, misses the point, since a small Coke could have the same calories as a
handful of almonds, though to say they are the same nutritionally would be
absurd.
The researchers conclude that the data could help create
more targeted health communication strategies that could help up awareness for
menu labels and benefit Americans. With more education, diners may at least
realize just how much junk is their fast food.
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