Energy labelling of alcoholic drinks: An important or inconsequential obesity policy?

Robinson, Eric; Boyland, Emma; Evans, Rebecca; Finlay, Amy; Halsall, Lauren; Humphreys, Gabrielle; Langfield, Tess; McFarland-Lesser, India; Patel, Zina; Jones, Andrew

doi:10.1002/osp4.638

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 118 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In 2020, the UK Government announced an intention to consult on the mandatory calorie labelling of alcoholic drinks as part of their obesity strategy ( DCSH, 2020 ). As Robinson et al . (2023) assert, for ACLs to reduce obesity and alcohol use, it must directly change population-level energy balance by causing individuals to change their behaviour (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 84%

Qualitative analysis of UK women’s attitudes to calorie-based alcohol marketing and alcohol calorie labelling

Atkinson,

Meadows,

Hobin

et al. 2024

Health Promotion International

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Mandatory standardized nutritional information on alcoholic drinks such as energy, or calorie labelling, is a population-level public health measure aimed at addressing obesity and alcohol consumption. In the UK, such measures are not a statutory requirement, but some alcohol brands do include references to calories on their products and in their marketing materials, as a marketing strategy to encourage sales and consumption. This article presents findings of semi-structured individual (N = 43) and group (N = 9) interviews with 78 women living in the UK that aimed to gain insight into their attitudes towards calorie-based alcohol brand marketing, and alcohol calorie labelling (ACL) as a health policy. Three themes are presented that outline how women rejected calorie marketing and labelling; the potential positive and unintended impact on alcohol consumption and dietary/eating practices; and how views on calorie labelling were intertwined with women’s attitudes towards marketing that draws on calorie messaging. A feminist anti-diet discourse, as well as a discourse of pleasure through alcohol consumption, was at play in women’s accounts, which may limit the intended aims of ACLs. It is concluded that ACLs should be considered within the wider commercial context of alcohol marketing that draws on calories to promote sales and consumption, consideration of the gendered factors that may lead some to reject ACLs as a health policy, and the potential for unintended consequences.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 84%

Qualitative analysis of UK women’s attitudes to calorie-based alcohol marketing and alcohol calorie labelling

Atkinson,

Meadows,

Hobin

et al. 2024

Health Promotion International

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…For example, a study by Haynos and Roberto (2017) recruiting undergraduate female students in the US found that when making hypothetical food choices with calorie labelling included in the menu, participants who met questionnaire cut-offs for anorexia and bulimia nervosa symptomology ordered meals with fewer calories, but participants with a tendency towards binge-eating selected meals with more calories. Therefore, the presence of calorie labelling may have resulted in food choices associated with maintaining the current ED symptomology, though other studies have not reached the same conclusion (Lillico et al, 2015;Robinson et al, 2022). Furthermore, even though there is comorbidity between obesity and ED (e.g., binge-eating disorder) (Darby et al, 2009) and other mental health conditions (e.g., depression) (Khanolkar & Patalay, 2021), there is very limited evidence on perceptions of public health policies to address obesity in people with an ED and other types of mental health conditions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acceptability and perceived harm of calorie labelling and other obesity policies: a cross-sectional survey study of UK adults with eating disorders and other mental health conditions

Putra¹,

Polden²,

Wareing³

et al. 2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objective: We assessed perceptions of recently proposed UK obesity-related public health policies (mandatory calorie labelling, banning of advertisements of unhealthy food and drinks online and before 9 pm on TV, and banning “buy one get one free” deals for unhealthy food and drinks) in people with an eating disorder (ED) and other mental health conditions. Method: 1,273 participants with a self-reported mental health condition (N=583 with an ED) completed an online survey in September – November 2022. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine support for and potential adverse effects of policies in participants with and without an ED. Qualitative analysis of potential effects of the policy on current ED symptoms was also conducted to better understand how and why policies may be damaging or beneficial.Results: Participants with an ED tended to support all obesity policies, but were less likely to support the implementation of the calorie labelling policy (43% of ED participants supported vs. 58% of non-ED participants). Half of the participants with an ED (55%) reported that labelling may worsen their ED symptoms. Qualitative data indicated perceived potential harm (e.g., a gateway to relapse, negative effects on mood) and perceived benefits (e.g., feeling informed and reassured) of calorie labelling in participants with an ED. No differences in support or perceived harms of the other two policies were observed between participants with vs. without an ED.Discussion: Future studies are warranted to understand how to mitigate the potential harmful effects of calorie labelling in people with an ED.

show abstract

“…A study by Haynos and Roberto (2017) recruiting undergraduate female students in the United States found that when making hypothetical food choices with calorie labeling presented the menu, participants who met questionnaire cut-offs for anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa symptomatology ordered meals with fewer calories, but participants with a tendency towards binge-ED selected meals with more calories. The presence of calorie labeling may have resulted in food choices associated with maintaining the current ED symptomatology, though other studies have not reached the same conclusion (Lillico et al, 2015;Robinson et al, 2022). Furthermore, even though there is comorbidity between obesity and ED (e.g., binge-ED) (Darby et al, 2009) and other mental health conditions (e.g., depression) (Khanolkar & Patalay, 2021), there is very limited evidence on perceptions of public health policies to address obesity in people with an ED and other mental health conditions.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Acceptability and perceived harm of calorie labeling and other obesity policies: A cross‐sectional survey study of UK adults with eating disorders and other mental health conditions

Putra

Polden

Wareing

et al. 2023

Intl J Eating Disorders

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ObjectiveWe assessed perceptions of recently proposed UK obesity policies (mandatory calorie labeling, banning of advertisements of unhealthy food and drinks online and before 9 pm on TV, and banning “buy one get one free” deals for unhealthy food and drinks) in people with an eating disorder (ED) and other mental health conditions.MethodA total of 1273 participants with a self‐reported lifetime mental health condition (N = 583 with an ED) completed an online survey in September–November 2022. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine support for and potential adverse effects of policies in participants with and without an ED. A qualitative analysis of the potential effects of the policy on current ED symptoms was also conducted to better understand how and why policies may be damaging or beneficial.ResultsParticipants with an ED had a lower level of support for the implementation of the calorie labeling policy compared to those without an ED (43% vs. 58%). Half of the participants with an ED (55%) reported that labeling may worsen their ED symptoms. Qualitative data indicated perceived potential harm (e.g., a gateway to relapse, negative effects on mood) and perceived benefits (e.g., feeling informed and reassured) of calorie labeling in participants with an ED. No differences in support or perceived harms of the other two policies were observed between participants with versus without an ED.DiscussionFuture studies are warranted to explore the potential effects of calorie labeling and how to mitigate negative impacts on people with an ED.Public SignificanceThis research is the first to assess the perceptions of UK obesity‐related policies in people with an ED and other mental health conditions. Participants with an ED (vs. without) were more likely to disagree with the government implementing the calorie labeling policy. These findings highlight the potentially harmful effects of calorie labeling in people with an ED and the need for future research to understand how to mitigate negative impacts.

show abstract

Energy labelling of alcoholic drinks: An important or inconsequential obesity policy?

Cited by 3 publications

References 118 publications

Qualitative analysis of UK women’s attitudes to calorie-based alcohol marketing and alcohol calorie labelling

Qualitative analysis of UK women’s attitudes to calorie-based alcohol marketing and alcohol calorie labelling

Acceptability and perceived harm of calorie labelling and other obesity policies: a cross-sectional survey study of UK adults with eating disorders and other mental health conditions

Acceptability and perceived harm of calorie labeling and other obesity policies: A cross‐sectional survey study of UK adults with eating disorders and other mental health conditions

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About