by Amir Goren
Mandatory calorie labeling on chain restaurant menus and menu boards has been implemented or is under consideration at both state ( Maine, Oregon, California, Massachusetts, and others ) and national levels. We’re allowed to know how many calories or grams fat or vitamins we’re ingesting when buying prepackaged foods at the grocery store (see Figure 1), so it makes sense to have menu labeling: a simple, inexpensive change that gives us some of the same transparency with restaurant foods. This is especially important as people are eating out more than ever, and fast food is making a killing due to the slow economy.
A great advantage of menu labeling is increased transparency, a crucial ingredient for a healthy, functioning free market system. How can people watch their calories, reduce sugar, or monitor sodium intake when they have no idea what’s in their food… or if they have to look hard to find the information?
A major criticism of labeling is that consumers won’t use the information.
One counterpoint is that—regardless of consumer behavior—labeling encourages chains to reformulate their foods to be healthier, due to embarrassment over menu items containing and advertising over half a day’s supply of calories in a single “serving”.
Another counterpoint is the great potential of labeling for future improvements in: (1) the way information is presented (e.g., listing total recommended calories; see Figure 2); (2) the way people learn and become accustomed to using the information; and (3) the type of information presented (e.g., sugar, fat). Once the information is out there, health experts and the media can educate the public about it. We often model our behaviors after what others do. If a sizeable chunk of the population begins to make active use of menu labels, this creates powerful norms for us to follow. It’s hard to ignore nutrition information when the person next to us says something like, “OK, son, we don’t want more than 700 calories in a single meal, so you can add the small fries or the cookie, but not both.”
Even if menu labeling isn’t immediately effective for everyone, it has tremendous potential to improve dietary adherence among those who need to mind the calories. At the same time, labels impose no restrictions on those who wish to indulge (see Rudd Report for more points).
I used to order a delicious vegetable/cheese sandwich at a chain restaurant, always thinking it was a healthy choice. One day, the cashier brought out the (hidden) nutrition book to double-check whether a particular item was vegetarian. Glancing through, I happened to notice that my favorite sandwich contained half my daily recommended allowance of saturated fat, over half the sodium, and over 1/3rd the calories! This is worse than most desserts! After this accidental education, I decided never to eat that sandwich again. Sure, I could have indulged from time to time, but I’d rather get my discretionary calories from even tastier desserts, or else limit myself to sandwiches that are nearly as tasty, yet healthier.
Imagine how many such “a-ha!” moments will occur if we increase transparency everywhere with strong and flexible menu labeling laws.
Figure 1.
Figure 2.
Photo Credits: Sub Menu, Nutrition Label and Public Health Ad
Mandatory calorie labeling on chain restaurant menus and menu boards has been implemented or is under consideration at both state ( Maine, Oregon, California, Massachusetts, and others ) and national levels. We’re allowed to know how many calories or grams fat or vitamins we’re ingesting when buying prepackaged foods at the grocery store (see Figure 1), so it makes sense to have menu labeling: a simple, inexpensive change that gives us some of the same transparency with restaurant foods. This is especially important as people are eating out more than ever, and fast food is making a killing due to the slow economy.
A great advantage of menu labeling is increased transparency, a crucial ingredient for a healthy, functioning free market system. How can people watch their calories, reduce sugar, or monitor sodium intake when they have no idea what’s in their food… or if they have to look hard to find the information?
A major criticism of labeling is that consumers won’t use the information.
One counterpoint is that—regardless of consumer behavior—labeling encourages chains to reformulate their foods to be healthier, due to embarrassment over menu items containing and advertising over half a day’s supply of calories in a single “serving”.
Another counterpoint is the great potential of labeling for future improvements in: (1) the way information is presented (e.g., listing total recommended calories; see Figure 2); (2) the way people learn and become accustomed to using the information; and (3) the type of information presented (e.g., sugar, fat). Once the information is out there, health experts and the media can educate the public about it. We often model our behaviors after what others do. If a sizeable chunk of the population begins to make active use of menu labels, this creates powerful norms for us to follow. It’s hard to ignore nutrition information when the person next to us says something like, “OK, son, we don’t want more than 700 calories in a single meal, so you can add the small fries or the cookie, but not both.”
Even if menu labeling isn’t immediately effective for everyone, it has tremendous potential to improve dietary adherence among those who need to mind the calories. At the same time, labels impose no restrictions on those who wish to indulge (see Rudd Report for more points).
I used to order a delicious vegetable/cheese sandwich at a chain restaurant, always thinking it was a healthy choice. One day, the cashier brought out the (hidden) nutrition book to double-check whether a particular item was vegetarian. Glancing through, I happened to notice that my favorite sandwich contained half my daily recommended allowance of saturated fat, over half the sodium, and over 1/3rd the calories! This is worse than most desserts! After this accidental education, I decided never to eat that sandwich again. Sure, I could have indulged from time to time, but I’d rather get my discretionary calories from even tastier desserts, or else limit myself to sandwiches that are nearly as tasty, yet healthier.
Imagine how many such “a-ha!” moments will occur if we increase transparency everywhere with strong and flexible menu labeling laws.
Figure 1.
Figure 2.
Photo Credits: Sub Menu, Nutrition Label and Public Health Ad