Calorie counts on menus have been a flop

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Adapted from BMJ 7 Dec 2024

Research published in Nature Human Behaviour, has found that labelling restaurant and takeaway food to show calorific content does not seem to change people’s eating behaviour.

Mandatory calorie labelling came in for certain types of restaurants in England in 2022. The idea was that people would look at the calories they intended to eat and choose more wisely and healthily.

Surveys on 6,578 customer before and after the change, indicated that there was no significant fall in self reported calories purchased or consumed.

My comment: An epic fail then! For myself, I tend to eat a double cheeseburger quarter pounder at Burger King, if I am stuck without an eating option. I put the bottom burger on the top of the cheese, mayo, lettuce and tomato, and eat it with my hands like a very messy, greasy, meat sandwich. I discard the bun as I don’t tolerate wheat. This comes in at around 1,000 kilocalories, but doesn’t stop me. It does fill me up for many hours. I have not changed my order since the rule came out. Has it changed your order pattern at restaurants?

3 thoughts on “Calorie counts on menus have been a flop”

  1. I’m like you, if I am hungry I need something which will sate the hunger and the calorie count matters nought. I too would discard the bun. I’d probably keep the meat and cheese and just eat that.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Well GP, at least it did you some good! In some articles in the press, the same study has been lauded as showing a decrease in fast food consumption. But wait for it, by 11 calories an order. This is two almonds worth. It is shocking how many calories are in fast food. But when I’m stuck, and I am desperate, I’ll eat the stuff.

    Liked by 1 person

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