Journal article
Exploratory analysis of fast-food chain restaurant menus before and after implementation of local calorie-labeling policies, 2005-2011
Preventing chronic disease, v 10, pp E101-E101
20 Jun 2013
PMID: 23786908
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Since 2008, several states and municipalities have implemented regulations requiring provision of nutrition information at chain restaurants to address obesity. Although early research into the effect of such labels on consumer decisions has shown mixed results, little information exists on the restaurant industry's response to labeling. The objective of this exploratory study was to evaluate the effect of menu labeling on fast-food menu offerings over 7 years, from 2005 through 2011.
Menus from 5 fast-food chains that had outlets in jurisdictions subject to menu-labeling laws (cases) were compared with menus from 4 fast-food chains operating in jurisdictions not requiring labeling (controls). A trend analysis assessed whether case restaurants improved the healthfulness of their menus relative to the control restaurants.
Although the overall prevalence of "healthier" food options remained low, a noteworthy increase was seen after 2008 in locations with menu-labeling laws relative to those without such laws. Healthier food options increased from 13% to 20% at case locations while remaining static at 8% at control locations (test for difference in the trend, P = .02). Since 2005, the average calories for an à la carte entrée remained moderately high (approximately 450 kilocalories), with less than 25% of all entrées and sides qualifying as healthier and no clear systematic differences in the trend between chain restaurants in case versus control areas (P ≥ .50).
These findings suggest that menu labeling has thus far not affected the average nutritional content of fast-food menu items, but it may motivate restaurants to increase the availability of healthier options.
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Details
- Title
- Exploratory analysis of fast-food chain restaurant menus before and after implementation of local calorie-labeling policies, 2005-2011
- Creators
- Alexa Namba - School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102, USAAmy AuchinclossBeth L LeonbergMargo G Wootan
- Publication Details
- Preventing chronic disease, v 10, pp E101-E101
- Publisher
- United States
- Grant note
- U01 HD061978 / NICHD NIH HHS U01-HD061978 / NICHD NIH HHS R01 HD061978 / NICHD NIH HHS
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics; Nutrition Sciences
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000329391900011
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-84884331076
- Other Identifier
- 991014877897704721
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- Web of Science research areas
- Public, Environmental & Occupational Health