Menu labeling helps parents make healthier choices for their kids

A new study from the American Academy of Pediatrics online journal reveals that listing nutritional information on fast-food restaurant menus increases the chances that parents will choose lower calorie meals for their children.

The study used McDonald’s menus to survey 99 parents of children age three to six about fast food selection for their children.  Researchers found that when parents were provided with caloric information at the point of purchase, they chose about 100 calories less for their children than parents who did not have the caloric information.  If you think about it, 100 calories over a long period of time is a lot!  If kids could cut 100 calories off every fast food meal they eat, it would do major things for childhood obesity in the U.S.

According to the study report, the amount of food consumed by American children has tripled between1977 and 1996, while child obesity statistics have skyrocketed in recent decades. The study results suggest that if parents have nutrition information at the point they are purchasing fast food for their children they actually make lower calorie, healthier choices for their families.  Let’s get on it DC!  Our families deserve it!  

Rationale and Evidence for Menu-Labeling Legislation - Great new Article in AJPM!

This month's American Journal of Preventive Medicine has a great new article about the rationale behind menu-labeling legislation. The authors break down the issue arguement by argument, refuting the claims of opponents.

CSPI Flip Flops on Federal Preemption of State/Local Menu Labeling Laws!

In April 2009, The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) sent out an e-mail to its supporters asking them to oppose the restaurant industry's Federal menu-labeling law, and support their stronger bill instead. Back then they said: 


"The restaurant industry has its own restaurant labeling bill, the LEAN Act. That sham bill aims to distract members of Congress from meaningful menu labeling and would cancel out all existing state and local menu labeling policies."

Now it's November, and CSPI is pushing hard to pass federal menu labeling legislation once again. But this time the bill they're supporting contains the very policies that they were fighting against just 8 months ago. 

DCVMC Visits St. Teresa Avila Parish!

This past Sunday, representatives from DC Voices for MEAL Choices partnered with the Metropolitan Washington Public Health Association (MWPHA) and the St. Teresa Avila Health Ministry to spread the word about good nutrition and menu labeling in Washington, DC. 

Preliminary Data from NYC shows Menu Labeling IS Having an Impact!

Over the past two weeks, news outlets throughout the U.S. have been reporting the data recently published in Health Affairs, showing that menu labeling in NYC isn't working¹. New data released today by the New York Department of Health at the Obesity Society's annual meeting in Washington, DC, showed that menu-labeling actually is having an impact!

Foggy Bottom Block Party was a success!

Thanks to all of you who turned out yesterday at the Foggy Bottom/West End Neighborhood Block Party! We had a ton of fun playing our menu game with everyone, and we gathered over 45 signatures in support of the DC MEAL Act.

DVMC asks commercial weight-loss programs about their positions on menu-labeling.

DC Voices for Meal Choices asked the most popular weight loss programs, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, and NutriSystem about their position on menu-labeling in chain restaurants. You would think that such programs would be supportive of menu-labeling in chain restaurants. After all, we clearly agree that a critical step in helping individuals make healthier meal choices is for them to be aware of the nutritional content in the foods they are eating, right? So, we asked these programs if they had a position on menu-labeling in chain restaurants or if they were supportive of menu-labeling in chain restaurants. Here were their responses:

Weight Watchers responded with "our program depends upon members viewing nutritional labels provided on food products and calculating information with their program materials. Weight Watchers does not have a position on labeling."

NutriSystem responded with "NutriSystem is not interested in contacting on this."

Jenny Craig did not provide a response.

Does anyone find it strange that these programs, whose missions are to help people live healthier lifestyles through proper diet choices, aren't jumping up and down in support of menu-labeling enforcement in restaurants?