Fast food customers count calories

A study recently released in the British Medical Journal found diners at major fast food chains throughout the city used posted menu calorie counts to make lower calorie choices.
Restaurants were required to post calorie counts of their items beginning in March 2008. The study surveyed New Yorkers’ lunch choices before and after the calorie regulations were instituted and found customers purchased an average of 106 fewer calories – which is equal to about 2.25 Chicken McNuggets.
Studies have found that without postings, customers often underestimated the number of calories in restaurant meals. Fifteen percent of customers reported using the calorie information to make their purchase, the study reported.
“By requiring fast food chains to post the amount of calories in food items, we’ve made it easier for New Yorkers to make more informed choices about the food they eat,” said Dr. Thomas Farley, New York City Health commissioner.
Obesity rates are at all-time highs in both children and adults. According to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, nearly six in ten New York City adults are overweight or obese and a 2009 report found nearly four in ten children were overweight or obese. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the city.
“More complete evaluation of the long-term effects of the policy will be possible over time, but these initial findings in New York City are encouraging,” said Dr. Lynn Silver, a co-author of the BMJ paper and director of the Office of Science and Policy in the Health Department’s Bureau of Chronic Disease. “While calorie labeling alone will not solve the obesity epidemic, it is an important tool to inform the public and provide an incentive for the restaurant industry to improve its offerings.”
Researchers surveyed more than 15,000 lunchtime customers and reviewed their register receipts from 168 locations of the top 11 fast food chains in New York City in 2007 and 2009.