You Can Lead a Horse to Calorie Counts

Food labeling, particularly calorie counts, is really a win-win situation. The information is spelled out for consumers who want to use it. And food and beverage companies and foodservice purveyors can (theoretically) silence the food police by being upfront about whether a product uses up more than half a day’s allotment of calories or is a reasonable choice.

But, in the end, it appears that human nature trumps calorie counting for the masses. A new study by researchers at New York University and Yale, tracked the purchasing behaviors of customers at four national fast-food chains with city-mandated calorie posting on menu boards—McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King and Kentucky Fried Chicken—in poor New York City neighborhoods. According to the report, about half the customers noticed the prominently posted calorie counts. Nearly 28 % of those who noticed the numbers said the information affected their choice, and 90% of that group claimed it resulted in them making healthier choices.

However actions speak louder than words. The researchers checked the receipts of those questioned and found that people actually ordered slightly more calories than before New York’s 2008 menu-labeling law went into effect: 846 calories vs. 825 calories.

I’m all for calorie labeling. And if some of us (myself included) choose to ignore it, we have no one to blame but ourselves.   

-Lynn A. Kuntz