摘要：In this observational study, we determined how frequently consumers accessed on-premises nutrition information provided at chain restaurants. The number of patrons entering and accessing nutrition information was recorded at 8 locations that were part of 4 major restaurant chains (McDonald's, Burger King, Starbucks, and Au Bon Pain). Only 6 (0.1%) of 4311 patrons accessed on-premises nutrition information before purchasing food. This very small percentage suggests that such information should be more prominently displayed, such as on restaurant menu boards, to help customers make informed decisions. In an effort to address the obesity epidemic, 1 New York City has required chain restaurants to post calorie information on menu boards and other cities and states are considering similar policies. 2 The primary rationale for this mandate is that Americans eat a large proportion of meals away from home, 3 consume excess calories in the process because of large portions, 4 – 6 and are generally unaware of the caloric content of foods. 7 , 8 The restaurant industry strongly opposes menu labeling legislation, arguing that because restaurants already make nutrition information accessible to customers online and on premises, the cost of changing and cluttering menus is not justified. However, only about half of the largest chain restaurants make nutrition information available in some form, 9 and it is unclear how often customers use this information. We aimed to assess how many restaurant patrons access on-premises nutrition information in chain restaurants. We hypothesized that a negligible percentage of consumers would access this information.
