People who are better educated and with higher income are more likely to make food choices based on calorie information on a menu, according to a new study.
The study was carried in McDonald’s restaurants in the US following the decision to change the law meaning calorie information must be displayed on menus.
It showed that while half of participants in the study noticed menu calorie labels, only 16% used the information to alter their eating habits.
Researchers from Arizona State University collected customer receipts and surveyed 329 people at 29 McDonald’s. Half of the restaurants were in high-income neighbourhoods and half were in low-income area.
While 60% of participants said they noticed the menus’ calorie labels, only 16% reported using the information when choosing a food or drink order. People who did use the labels ate about 150 fewer calories than those who did not.
Only about 8% of people earning less than $50,000 per year used the calorie labels to choose their food. A much larger proportion of higher income people - about 1 in 4 people earning between $50,000 and $100,000 and 1 in 5 people earning over $100,000 - used the labels.
About a third of customers with a bachelor’s degree or more education used menu labels in their decisions, while only 1 in 10 people with a high school degree or less did the same.
Factors including age, sex, race and frequency of eating fast food did not significantly affect whether people noticed or used the calorie labels.
Noticing menu labels was not enough to influence the number of calories customers took in, and only people who reported using the nutrition information actually ate fewer calories, the authors note in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Only about 8 percent of people earning less than $50,000 per year used the calorie labels to choose their food. A much larger proportion of higher income people - about 1 in 4 people earning between $50,000 and $100,000 and 1 in 5 people earning over $100,000 - used the labels.
About a third of customers with a bachelor’s degree or more education used menu labels in their decisions, while only 1 in 10 people with a high school degree or less did the same.
Factors including age, sex, race and frequency of eating fast food did not significantly affect whether people noticed or used the calorie labels.
Noticing menu labels was not enough to influence the number of calories customers took in, and only people who reported using the nutrition information actually ate fewer calories, the authors note in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
