Informed Parents Choose Fewer Calories
Reported January 26, 2010
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — When it comes to menu choices, informed parents make for healthier kids. A new study suggests providing nutritional information on children’s menu items leads to smarter meal selections for 3- to 6-year-olds.
A new study in the journal Pediatrics shows the amount of calories parents selected for their child’s meal dropped by an average of 102 calories when calorie information was provided on the menu. Ninety-nine parents of 3- to 6-year-olds were surveyed about their fast food dining habits and presented with a sample McDonald’s menu. Half of the parents had menus that included calorie information for each food item. Parents who were given the calorie information chose an average of 20 percent fewer calories for their kids.
Interestingly, parents chose no differently for themselves when presented with calorie information, and researchers found no correlation between the parents’ typical frequency of fast food dining and the number of calories selected.
More than 30 localities or states are currently considering policies that would require calories and other nutrition information to be clearly visible on menus, four of which have already implemented policies.
Source: Pediatrics, published online January 25, 2010