SEATTLE—Menus that clearly display calorie information help parents make better food choices and significantly reduce calorie intake in fast-food restaurant meals purchased for children, according to a new study published in Pediatrics.
At a pediatric practice in Seattle, 99 parents of 3- to 6-year-olds who sometimes eat in fast food restaurants with their children were surveyed about their fast-food dining habits. They were presented with sample McDonald’s restaurant menus that included current prices and pictures of items, and asked what they would select for themselves and also for their children as a typical meal. Half of the parents were given menus that also clearly showed calorie information for each item. Parents who were given the calorie information chose 102 fewer calories on average for their children, compared with the group who did not have access to calorie information on their menus. This reflects a calorie reduction of approximately 20 percent.
“Even modest calorie adjustments on a regular basis can avert weight gain and lead to better health over time,” said lead researcher Pooja S. Tandon, MD. “Just an extra 100 calories per day may equate to about 10 pounds of weight gain per year. By simply providing parents the caloric information they chose lower calorie items. This is encouraging and suggests that parents do want to make wise food decisions for their children, but they need help. Now that some areas are requiring nutritional information in chain restaurants, we have opportunities to further study what happens when we put this knowledge in the hands of parents.”
