Calorie counts on menus do help diners choose healthy

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDJul 26 2011

According to a latest review of the nutritional information on menu card scheme, putting calorie information on menus encourages healthy eating - but only in a limited way.

Researchers questioned customers before and after a law was passed in New York in 2008 forcing restaurants to display the nutritional information on menu cards. The study by the NY Health Department showed one in six used the information - with most reducing their intake.

It comes as UK restaurants are introducing a similar scheme. A total of 32 firms signed up to displaying calorie information in UK outlets, including fast food chains McDonald's and KFC, as part of the government's “responsibility deal” set out earlier this year.

Researchers surveyed more than 7,000 people in 2007 and another 8,500 in 2009 at 168 locations covering 11 of the top food chains in the city, the British Medical Journal's website reported. Some 15% reported using the labels and these customers purchased 106 fewer calories than customers who did not use or see them.

Researchers said it was important if the scheme was going to be more of a success that education campaigns be set up to improve awareness. “We think, overall, these initial findings are positive,” Dr. Lynn Silver, director of New York City's Office of Science and Policy and co-author of the report, said. “We're optimistic, as calorie labels go national, and consumers become accustomed to using the information that chains will have a strong incentive to offer lower calorie options,” she said.

Dr Susan Jebb, a nutrition expert from Britain’s Medical Research Council, who has advised the government on its strategy, said she would expect calorie information to have more of an impact in the UK. She added, “We are much more used to looking at front-of-pack labeling in supermarkets so I would expect more people to use calorie information than the one in six in New York. But this study also illustrates the importance of how the restaurant or food chain acts. It is going to require a combination of factors to make a big difference.”

A spokeswoman for the UK Department of Health said, “This is a great example of how calorie labeling can influence the choices people make and lead to a healthier diet.” Beatrice Brooke, of the British Heart Foundation, added, “One in six meals in the UK is eaten away from home so it's essential we know what's in the food we're buying in restaurants and cafes. The New York research shows us just how valuable calorie labeling in fast food restaurants can be.”

In 2009, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that at least 20 percent of adults in all states, except Colorado, were obese. The CDC also said medical costs related to obesity were estimated to be as high as $147 billion in 2008.