Fast-food calorie labeling unlikely to encourage healthy eating

Researchers from New York University (NYU) have shown why fast-food menu calorie counts do not help consumers make healthy choices in a new study published in the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing.  The researchers found that only a small fraction of fast-food eaters — as few as 8% — are likely to make healthy choices as a result of current calorie labeling. The study comes just six months before a federal policy goes into effect requiring calorie labeling nationwide and provides recommendations for improving labeling that could boost the odds of diners making healthy choices.  "Health policies would benefit from greater attention to what is known about effective messaging and behavior change. The success of fast-food menu labeling depends on multiple conditions being met, not just the availability of calorie information," said study author Andrew Breck, a doctoral candidate at the NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. Calorie labeling on fast-food restaurant menus was designed to motivate consumers to change their behavior by providing them with health information. In 2006, New York City became the first city to introduce labeling requirements for fast-food chains, followed shortly thereafter by Philadelphia, Pa., and Seattle, Wash. On May 5, 2017, calorie labeling will go into effect nationwide, as the Food & Drug Administration will require all chain restaurants with at least 20 locations to post calorie information.