Calorie labels encourage people to eat less by only a single crisp, study says
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Review of labelling’s effectiveness finds average reduction is equivalent of 11 calories in a typical 600-calorie meal. Calorie labels on menus and food packets encourage people to choose healthier options but only to the tune of 11 calories – the same as a single Pringle crisp.
That is the finding of a study into how effective menu listings are at prompting consumers to select less calorific food. “Our review suggests that calorie labelling leads to a modest reduction in the calories people purchase and consume,” said Dr Gareth Hollands from the social research institute at University College London, a senior author of the findings.
Displaying calorie information in cafes, restaurants and supermarkets only leads to a reduction on average of 1.8% in the total amount of calories people consumed. That equates to just 11 calories in a typical 600-calorie meal, or the same as two almonds, Hollands added.
“This review strengthens the evidence that calorie labelling can lead to small but consistent reductions in calorie selection,” said Dr Natasha Clarke of Bath Spa University, the lead author. Despite what she acknowledged was labels’ “modest” impact on the food bought, “the cumulative effect at a population level could make a meaningful contribution to public health”.
The researchers reached their conclusions after reviewing 25 previous studies on the subject, involving more than 10,000 people from rich countries such as the UK, France and the US. Their study is published on Friday by the Cochrane Library, a global evidence-based medicine publisher.
