Reuters is reporting on a rule in New York City that requires calorie information be posted on the menu board. According to a study published on Tuesday, adding the information has not changed the consumer habits in low=income neighborhoods. According to the study, which was published in the journal Health Affairs, half the consumers saw the boards, and about a quarter of that made a different food choice.
“In July 2008, New York became the first U.S. city to mandate that fast food restaurants post calorie counts in large type on menu boards. The system has since become a model for similar rules intended to combat obesity and promote good nutrition being implemented in California, other parts of New York state, the cities of Seattle and Portland, and elsewhere.”
Brian Elbel, a professor at the New York University School of Medicine, believes additional studies and research is necessary. Information only won’t be enough, there needs to be support from public policy efforts to make meaningful changes in obesity.
Reuters reports that “one-third of U.S. adults are obese, a condition that increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and other medical problems.”
More must be done for the study to be complete, but at this time it does not look like having access to the information is enough. For more information click here.
Posted: 10/07/09
