Report: Fast Food Menu Labeling Could Help Californians Avoid Gaining Weight
An analysis released by the University of California’s Center for Weight and Health suggests that posting the calories on fast food restaurant menu boards could save Californians from gaining up to 2.7 pounds per year. According to the press release:
Look up at a fast-food menu board and shed a pound? It may sound too good to be true, but according to a paper released today by the University of California’s Center for Weight and Health, new research shows that California adults could avoid gaining 2.7 pounds a year if calories were posted on fast-food menu boards statewide.
The analysis combines findings from two key sources to understand how calories posted on fast-food menu boards could shape the health of California. A 2008 New York City study found that patrons of fast-food restaurants where calorie counts were shown consumed 52 fewer calories per visit. And a 2007 consumer survey shows that California adults who eat at fast-food chains do so an average of 3.4 times per week. Based on conservative math, the UC Berkeley Center for Weight and Health calculates that menu labeling of calories in California could reduce caloric intake by over 9,000 calories per person annually.
Ok, 52 calories is not a lot. On the other hand, every little bit helps. Furthermore, the estimate is a conservative one: increasing awareness of calorie intake could lead to greater reductions. As noted in a related analysis created for Los Angeles County:
…changing from a double meat patty to a single meat patty hamburger would save 244 calories, from a large to a medium order of french fries would save 163 calories or from a large to medium soft drink would save 95 calories. Our findings suggest that, even with only modest changes like these, the impact of menu labeling on population weight gain could be substantial.
This isn’t exactly diet/weight loss territory, but even small, relatively painless reductions like these could reduce weight gain substantially – which is an important first step.
