Carl Bialik, the “numbers guy” at The Wall Street Journal, has a good review of present research on the subject. The only definite answer is “maybe” but the case for using mandated posting on menus as a means of fighting obesity currently rests on sparse evidence.
[Via The Morning News.]
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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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As a means to fighting obesity I have doubts as well, but as a long overdue parallel to the “nutrition facts” that accompany every other consumable, the calorie presentations are well-warranted. Their purpose, as I see it, is to allow consumers to spot egregiously unhealthy outliers that either: (1) they incorrectly assumed were equivalent to similar healthier alternatives (Blimpies vs. Subway); or (2) contain unidentifiable and sometimes artificial ingredients that allow no basis of comparison (Chili’s “poppers”). The burden on chain restauranteurs is minimal, and the informative benefit to consumers is great.
It may not lead to behavior modification—fine by me, really—but it serves as a check to ensure that increasing calorie counts are a function of consumer choice and not an exploitation of the scarcity of information.
Once again, I know my libertarian credentials are even as we speak being questioned, but more information in the hands of the consumers leads to a more efficient market. Caloric labeling is a boon and I’m for it.