Seeing a full day’s worth of calories attributed to a single menu item might not be a deterrent to unhealthy eating than the politicians thought it would be. It turns out that Americans are pretty good at ignoring the nutrition facts when it comes to beloved fast food items.
Research has shown that four years after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began requiring chain restaurants to post calories on their menus, the regulation hasn’t had much of an effect on our dietary choices, according to nbc news. The most recent report of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that obesity rates have actually increased over the time period, rising from 30% in 1999 and 2000 to 42% in 2020.
A major factor contributing to the obesity epidemic is how much Americans are eating out, which is now much more than ever. Not only that, but fast food restaurants are also a bigger part of that diet.
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To combat this growing number, Congress passed the Nutrition labeling of standard menu items in chain restaurants law in 2010, which required restaurant chains to display calorie counts on menus across the country. The law was intended to inspire people to make better decisions with what they eat.
After a 8 year delay Due to pushback from the restaurant and grocery industry, the law finally went into effect on May 7, 2018.
In 2020, the Journal of policy analysis and management found that between two full-service restaurants, one with nutrition facts posted on the menu and one without, researchers could only find a 3% reduction in calories when calories were displayed on the menu.
When it comes to fast food and teenagersa 2011 study indicated that while most teens saw nutrition facts, only about 9% of them were influenced by the information.
Yet while the policy may not have inspired consumers to order healthier, it did change chain restaurant menus for the better. According to research published by Journal of the American Medical Association, adding calories to menus may have contributed to an average reduction in calories from recently introduced menu items. New additions to the menu tend to be about 113 fewer calories now compared to new items introduced before nutrition labeling.
While studies on obesity and menu labeling are still ongoing, calorie counting on menus can be useful for those already tracking their calories and looking to make healthier choices.
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amber lake
Amber Lake is a staff writer for Eat This, Not That! and she has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from UNF in Jacksonville, Florida. read more
