摘要：Objectives. We assessed the impact of restaurant menu calorie labels on food choices and intake. Methods. Participants in a study dinner (n = 303) were randomly assigned to either (1) a menu without calorie labels (no calorie labels), (2) a menu with calorie labels (calorie labels), or (3) a menu with calorie labels and a label stating the recommended daily caloric intake for an average adult (calorie labels plus information). Food choices and intake during and after the study dinner were measured. Results. Participants in both calorie label conditions ordered fewer calories than those in the no calorie labels condition. When calorie label conditions were combined, that group consumed 14% fewer calories than the no calorie labels group. Individuals in the calorie labels condition consumed more calories after the study dinner than those in both other conditions. When calories consumed during and after the study dinner were combined, participants in the calorie labels plus information group consumed an average of 250 fewer calories than those in the other groups. Conclusions. Calorie labels on restaurant menus impacted food choices and intake; adding a recommended daily caloric requirement label increased this effect, suggesting menu label legislation should require such a label. Future research should evaluate menu labeling's impact on children's food choices and consumption. Poor diet is a major public health concern. 1 , 2 One policy that might help improve diet quality, which has been implemented in New York City and is being considered by other cities and states, requires chain restaurants to post kilocalorie (calorie) information on menus and menu boards. The aim of menu labels is to inform consumers about foods consumed outside the home, which account for approximately half of total food expenditures. 3 The rationale is that (1) food purchased outside the home is higher in calories, of poorer nutritional quality, and served in larger portions, which promotes overconsumption 4 – 7 ; (2) the frequency of fast food consumption is associated with greater levels of body fat 8 and overweight 9 ; (3) people, including trained nutritionists, 10 have great difficulty estimating the calories in restaurant meals 11 ; and (4) most consumers support calorie labeling on restaurant menus 12 , 13 and nearly half report it would inform their food choices. 14 The restaurant industry has lobbied hard against proposed regulations, suing New York City, San Francisco, and Santa Clara for attempting to enact labeling requirements, although these suits were unsuccessful. One industry claim is that at least some restaurants make nutrition information available via some combination of in-store brochures, posters, and the Internet. However, the information is often not readily accessible 15 and only 0.1% of consumers seek it out. 16 Given the prominence of this issue and the strong opposition of industry, it is important to test the impact of calorie labels on food choices and consumption. Studies bearing on this matter have produced mixed findings 17 – 29 and have either failed to examine calorie labels on chain restaurant menus, offered study participants a limited number of food items, or studied ordering behavior but not actual consumption and neglected to examine how nutrition information presented at one meal affects subsequent food intake. We designed the current study to test whether menu labeling influences the total calories ordered and consumed during a dinner meal as well as food consumed after the meal. We also aimed to assess whether the effects would be stronger if people were provided information about recommended daily caloric requirements.
