Menu labeling aids in the obesity battle

When a movement began 10 years ago to post nutrition information on restaurant menus, the industry resisted and said it couldn’t be done. But the recent announcement that McDonald’s will put calories on its menu boards is a sign that menu labeling is here to stay. It will have a positive effect on the choices Americans make and the items that restaurants serve.

Americans are getting more calories outside the home than ever. About a third of our calories come from eating out, which is more often associated with more calories and obesity, as well as more saturated fat and sugary drinks and fewer healthy vegetables and fruits.

That the restaurant industry and convenience stores sell empty-calorie soft drinks in 20-ounce bottles and 32- and even 64-ounce buckets certainly doesn’t help. New York City’s health board approved mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposal to limit serving sizes to a still-generous 16 ounces.

Knowing calorie contents at the point of decision-making can make the difference between a relatively healthy meal and a disastrous dietbuster. At McDonald’s, many consumers will be surprised fect given that the obesity epidemic is probably fueled by about an extra 100 calories per person per day. Research on calorie labeling on consumers’ purchasing habits will evolve as we get used to having nutrition labeling at restaurants. And menu labeling is also affecting restaurants’ behavior. It has spurred innovation and reformulation, as companies have a new incentive to compete on the basis of nutrition as well as other factors.

A recent study found that in Seattle/King County, the average number of calories in chain restaurants has decreased by 40 calories per entree since menu labeling began. After calorie labeling started in New York City, Starbucks cut 5 percent of the calories from its pastries and 14 percent of the calories from its drinks, on average. Applebee’s began featuring entrees under 550 calories. We’ve seem similar moves from other chains.

Georgia’s adult obesity rate is more than 28 percent, double what it was 15 years ago. No one thing alone is going to reverse that trend. But menu labeling at restaurant chains is going to be an important part of the multipronged strategy we need to begin to arrest this expensive and debilitating public health problem.

Margo Wootan is director of nutrition policy for the Center for Science in the Public Interest.