Listing calories works! (For women, anyway)
CALORIe counts on a restaurant menu are far more likely to make a woman worry about her waistline than men, a study found.
The information, if clearly stated, encouraged women to order meals with 75 fewer calories, while for both sexes the average reduction was just 45.
Overweight people were also more likely to take notice of the more calorific dishes listed, slashing their intake by 67 calories on average.
There is no law in the UK requiring restaurants to display calories, despite calls from health campaigners to make it compulsory.
however, some companies including McDonald’s and Starbucks do so voluntarily, and the effect on consumer behaviour has been measured in a review of 186 studies led by the University of Technology Sydney.
The researchers found women were ‘more responsive’ to menu calorie counts, and called for additional studies to determine why. More than two-thirds of the studies, reviewing 1.6million meal choices, showed diners went for less calorific options when the total was listed. Lead researcher Natalina Zlatevska said calorie counts could make a real difference for those who eat out regularly, adding: ‘With more and more spent on meals purchased outside the home, anything we can do to educate consumers, and make them a bit more aware of their choices is a good start.’
More than a quarter of British adults and a fifth of children eat food from restaurants and takeaways at least once a week. But eating out often means we end up consuming more fatty, sugary and salty food.
The study found people shown calorie counts were more likely to cut their consumption in table- service restaurants and when eating lunch rather than dinner.
The study, published in the Journal of Retailing, states: ‘It could be that individuals are more likely to notice calorie information on a menu during a sit-down meal, and when they are more likely to be making individual choice selections, such as at lunchtime.’
From next year, restaurants in the US will have to display calories. A leaked draft of the UK Government’s child obesity strategy contained a similar compulsory requirement. however, the final plan removed all trace of the measure.
A Department of health spokesman said: ‘We know people consume too many calories — that’s why Public health england are embarking on extensive calorie and sugar reduction programmes, to make foods healthier before they hit plates and shelves.’