In a working paper, economists Michael Anderson and David Matsa search for a correlation between easy road access to fast food restaurants and obesity. They don’t find one. The reason, they suggest, is that consumers are smart enough to offset unhealthy restaurant meals by eating less at other times during the day:
Matsa and Anderson next looked at data on individual eating habits from a survey conducted between 1994 and 1996. When eating out, people reported consuming about 35 percent more calories on average than when they ate at home. But importantly, respondents reduced their caloric intake at home on days they ate out (that’s not to say that people were watching their weight, since respondents who reported consuming more at home also tended to eat more when going out). Overall, eating out increased daily caloric intake by only 24 calories. The results for urban and suburban consumers were similar.
The paper casts doubt on the idea that mandating calorie counts in restaurants will effectively reduce obesity, since consumers already appear to be compensating for the dense intake. Our abundance of affordable food, sedentary lifestyles, and consumer preferences are likely greater contributors to unhealthy weights than simple ignorance about the nutritional value of our food.
[Full paper here [pdf]. Via Marginal Revolution.]
Previously:
Calorie counts are lies, all lies!
Guess what? Burgers make you fat!
Jacob Grier is a freelance writer, barista, mixologist, and magician in Portland, OR. He writes, eats, and drinks a lot. His articles have appeared in The Washington Post, Reason Online, The Oregonian, and other publications.
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