The Impact of Menu Labeling on Fast-Food Purchases for Children and Parents

Abstract

Background Nutrition labeling of menus has been promoted as a means for helping consumers make healthier food choices at restaurants. As part of national health reform, chain restaurants will be required to post nutrition information at point-of-purchase, but more evidence regarding the impact of these regulations, particularly in children, is needed. Purpose To determine whether nutrition labeling on restaurant menus results in a lower number of calories purchased by children and their parents. Methods A prospective cohort study compared restaurant receipts of those aged 6–11 years and their parents before and after a menu-labeling regulation in Seattle/King County (S/KC) (n=75), with those from a comparison sample in nonregulated San Diego County (SDC) (n=58). Data were collected in 2008 and 2009 and analyzed in 2010. Results In S/KC, there was a significant increase from pre- to post-regulation (44% vs 87%) in parents seeing nutrition information, with no change in SDC (40% vs 34%). Average calories purchased for children did not change in either county (823 vs 822 in S/KC; 984 vs 949 in SDC). There was an approximately 100-calorie decrease for the parents postregulation in both counties (823 vs 720 in S/KC; 895 vs 789 in SDC), but no difference between counties. Conclusions A restaurant menu-labeling regulation increased parent's nutrition information awareness, but did not decrease calories purchased for either children or parents.

Parental Nutrition Knowledge Rather Than Nutrition Label Use Is Associated With Adiposity in Children

“…Whereas some experimental studies found that parents provided with restaurant menus containing nutrition information selected lower-calorie items for their children, 18,30 others did not. 19,31 Few observational studies assessed the association between parents' label use on cardiovascular risk and adiposity measures in their children. To the authors' knowledge, this study was the first to directly assess the relationship between nutrition label use and cardiovascular biomarkers and adiposity among parents and their children.…”

“…In fact, studies examining the influence of parental label use on children's health are largely limited to experimental studies assessing the impact of restaurant menu labeling on parental purchasing decisions for their children's meals, and yielded mixed results. 18,19 To the best of the authors' knowledge, no observational study has yet been conducted that examines the association between parental nutrition label use and children's cardiovascular health. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate whether parental nutrition label use, nutrition label literacy, and nutrition knowledge were associated with cardiovascular biomarkers and adiposity measures in a cross-sectional analysis of parents and their children from Montreal, Canada.…”

Current Trends in Childhood Obesity Research

“…One study found 15 of 22 chain restaurants in London did not provide portion size or nutrition information [89], and one U.S. study indicated that menu labeling increased parental awareness of nutrition information but did not significantly decrease the actual percentage of calories purchased for their children [90]. Cigarette taxes were significantly associated with an increase in BMI but not obesity among children with mothers who smoked [91].…”

Potential Effect of Physical Activity Calorie Equivalent Labeling on Parent Fast Food Decisions

“…The little research that exists on the effect of calorie labeling on parents' choices for their children suggests no effect, although a hypothetical scenario study suggested that parents might order fewer calories for their children when a menu is labeled with calorie information. 15,16 Overall, though, it seems consumers may not know how to use calorie information to guide food ordering for themselves or for their children.…”