Warren Thayer

Calorie Counts Influence Menu Readers

February 17, 2010

FROM RETAILWIRE:
While at least one study of low-income consumers showed calorie counts on menus did little to influence purchases in restaurants, two other studies published on the website of the American Journal of Public Health suggest putting calories on the menu could play a significant role in helping address obesity. Will calories and other nutritional information listed on menus help to reduce obesity in the U.S.?      [more...]

Cripes, what harm can it do? No doubt in my mind whatever that it will help some people make better decisions. I've been surprised sometimes to learn that healthy-sounding options on menus actually have more calories, fat and salt than the obvious bombs. Why should supermarkets have to live by this rule, but not restaurants?

And while I usually agree with Doron, I don't agree that cautions on cigarettes had no effect. Smoking was huge in this country when I was a kid, and now smokers are significantly in the minority. I can't ever see why sharing information that might help people make decisions can be seen as wrong. And I have a moral problem with the idea that such information should not be shared because it might hurt business.