Do Calorie Counts Matter Or What?
A study recently published in American Journal of Public Health suggests that perhaps providing food consumers with “recommended calorie intake information” does not impact their menu selections. I think it's a little bogus.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon analyzed the dining choices made be 1,221 adults at lunchtime at two separate McDonald's restaurants in New York City. Diners were split into three groups, each group recieved different information: recommended daily calorie intake; recommended per-meal calorie intake; or no additional information. Those given information still ate their McDonald's lunches.
Maybe they don't have an effect on immediate decisions, but perhaps the caloric knowledge imparted on diners subconsciously guides them toward different food choices on a larger scale. For example, if I go out to eat intending on getting a fatty burger, you won't stop me by telling me I'm about to swallow 6 millions calories, but that's just because I went out hellbent on treating myself. That being said, just knowing roughly how many calories I consumed during my feast can help me gear the rest of my caloric intake for the day.
Even if there was literally no impact whatsoever on choices and nutrition, what's the harm in providing people with information? I don't understand why this is even something people are talking about. I want calorie counts on everything from fast food to wine to vitamins even they don't magically get me to start making the right choices. If it has any nutritional value of any kind at all–fuck it, label the shit out of it.