The Publics' Understanding of Daily Caloric Recommendations and Their Perceptions of Calorie Posting in Chain Restaurants

Overview

Journal BMC Public Health

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Public Health

Date 2010 Mar 11

PMID 20214811

Citations 34

Authors

Sara N Bleich

Keshia M Pollack

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Calorie posting in chain restaurants has received increasing attention as a policy lever to reduce energy intake. Little research has assessed consumer understanding of overall daily energy requirements or perceived effectiveness of calorie posting.

Methods: A phone survey was conducted from May 1 through 17, 2009 with 663 randomly selected, nationally-representative adults aged 18 and older, including an oversample of Blacks and Hispanics in the United States. To examine differences in responses by race and ethnicity (White, Black, and Hispanic) and gender, we compared responses by conducting chi-squared tests for differences in proportions.

Results: We found that most Americans were knowledgeable about energy requirements for moderately active men (78%) and women (69%), but underestimated energy requirements for inactive adults (60%). Whites had significantly higher caloric literacy and confidence about their caloric knowledge than Blacks and Hispanics (p < 0.05). As compared to their counterparts, Blacks, Hispanics and women reported a significantly higher likelihood of eating at a chain restaurant and of selecting lower calorie foods where caloric information was posted. Most Americans favored the government requiring chain restaurants to post calorie information on menus at the point of purchase (68%). Support for government mandated calorie posting in chain restaurants was significantly higher among Blacks, Hispanics and women as compared to their counterparts. The public was divided about the mode of caloric information that would best help them make a lower calorie decision; a third favored number of calories (35%) which is the current standard mode of presenting caloric information in chain restaurants, a third favored a physical activity equivalent (26%), and a third favored percentage of total energy intake (39%).

Conclusion: Mandating calorie posting in chain restaurants may be a useful policy tool for promoting energy balance, particularly among Blacks, Hispanics and women who have higher obesity risk.

Citing Articles

Public's calorie literacy and perceived effectiveness of restaurant menu calorie labeling in the United Arab Emirates.

Ismail L, Kassem H, Osaili T, Hashim M, Obaid R, Radwan H PLoS One. 2023; 18(10):e0293387.

PMID: 37874847 PMC: 10597515. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293387.

Implementing physical activity calorie equivalent (PACE) food labelling: Views of a nationally representative sample of adults in the United Kingdom.

Daley A, Kettle V, Roalfe A PLoS One. 2023; 18(9):e0290509.

PMID: 37708107 PMC: 10501579. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0290509.

A multi-country comparison of jurisdictions with and without mandatory nutrition labelling policies in restaurants: analysis of behaviours associated with menu labelling in the 2019 International Food Policy Study.

Essman M, Burgoine T, Cameron A, Jones A, Potvin Kent M, Polden M Public Health Nutr. 2023; 26(11):2595-2606.

PMID: 37661595 PMC: 10641604. DOI: 10.1017/S1368980023001775.

A Cross-Sectional Study of Gender Differences in Calorie Labeling Policy among Students: Dietary Habits, Nutritional Knowledge and Awareness.

Alotaibi N, Alshammari G, Alabdulkarem K, AlOtaibi A, Mohammed M, Alotaibi A Nutrients. 2023; 15(4).

PMID: 36839237 PMC: 9958862. DOI: 10.3390/nu15040879.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Public Interest in the Energy Labelling on Restaurant Menus.

Alkhaldy A, Alhumaidan O, Alkhunein S, Alkhalaf M, Bookari K, Arrish J Nutrients. 2023; 15(2).

PMID: 36678337 PMC: 9866988. DOI: 10.3390/nu15020466.

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