NYC Considering Alternate Caloric Displays on Menus

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=labels-that-translate-calories-into-walking-distance

Choosing what to eat or drink based on calorie numbers alone is challenging for some restaurant-goers, according to Anthony Viera at the University of North Carolina (U.N.C.) at Chapel Hill School of Medicine. ?It requires a computation that many people might not find easy to make at the point of decision,? he says. So Viera and his colleagues conducted an online survey of 802 individuals randomly presented with one of four hypothetical menus. One of the menus provided only calorie counts, another supplemented this with information about the number of minutes one would need to walk to burn those calories whereas the third menu showed calorie numbers plus the distance necessary to walk them off. The fourth menu had no nutritional data whatsoever. All of the physical activity labeling for walking was based on the energy expenditure of a 160-pound adult walking at a rate of 30 minutes per mile?so a ?regular burger? was, for example, listed as containing 250 calories, the equivalent amount burned in 2.6 miles, or 78 minutes of walking.

 

People who viewed the menu without nutritional information ordered a meal totaling 1,020 calories, on average, significantly more than the average 826 calories ordered by those who viewed menus that included information about walking-distance. Study participants ordered meals adding up to averages of 927 calories and 916 calories from menus with only calorie information or calorie information plus minutes walking, respectively, although the differences between these two totals were not statistically significant. The findings appear in the March issue of the journal Appetite. ?The next stage is to see how this might work in a real-world setting,? says Sunaina Dowray, a medical student at the U.N.C. School of Medicine and lead author of the study. She says that the team might try to work with the school?s cafeteria about the possibility of testing the concept their labels there.

 

Although a difference of 200 or even 100 calories might not seem large, a 2011 study from researchers that included scientists at the National Institutes of Health calculated that eating just 10 fewer calories a day would make a person shed a pound of weight over three years.

That's actually a rather novel idea. I think it's brilliant and really helps put things in greater perspective. Maybe you don't take away the 17+oz soda, but you put it in perspective like this.

Ah, a new way to throw money away.

Like people who eat this crap actually care. They eat this crap because a.) its all they can afford, or b.) they're a lazy fat ass.

This wouldnt change a thing.

Ah, a new way to throw money away.

 

Like people who eat this crap actually care. They eat this crap because a.) its all they can afford, or b.) they're a lazy fat ass.

 

This wouldnt change a thing.

On top of that, some people actually like it or like the taste of it, and lots of it.

I agree with you 100%, more BS waste. If people in this super informed time we live in can't make decisions for themselves than eff them.

If someone can go on twitter and update where they are every 5 minutes or send instagram pictures of themselves to the world, than they can go on

their phone to view the calorie content of the shit they're eating.

I wish Jersey would display calories. It definitely influences your decision...

I wish every place displayed calories. When I don't bring my lunch to work some days, I have to limit myself to places that display info.

But see, this is a personal problem. I shouldnt have to pay more for my food so TGI Friday's can show this information on all of its menu's because you don't have will power (or common sense).

Once again, if you (one) are at the point where you need to count calories or see how far you have to walk, you're probably past the point when you realized you are a fat ass that shouldnt be eating this crap.

If individual rests. want to do this, fine.

But see, this is a personal problem. I shouldnt have to pay more for my food so TGI Friday's can show this information on all of its menu's because you don't have will power (or common sense).

 

 

 

Once again, if you (one) are at the point where you need to count calories or see how far you have to walk, you're probably past the point when you realized you are a fat ass that shouldnt be eating this crap.

 

If individual rests. want to do this, fine.

Carry on, gents.

Josh, I'm talking about salads and shit. I still want to know what the calorie counts are. It makes it a lot easier for me to count calories.

I never understood the issue with counting calories. I think it's good that they have them. It gives us a choice.

Josh, I'm talking about salads and shit. I still want to know what the calorie counts are. It makes it a lot easier for me to count calories.

 

I never understood the issue with counting calories. I think it's good that they have them. It gives us a choice.

Bro, its not the calories from salads you should be worrying about.

Bro, its not the calories from salads you should be worrying about.

From the dressing

Again, people have cell phones and internet. If they can take the time to update their facebook profiles, than they have no excuse to not being able to check up on what their eating and what the fat content of it is. People are just plain lazy and getting lazier in every aspect of their lives. Everything is out there for people to learn about and make smart decisions on, if they take the extra few minutes to read up on it.

It's not always available on web sites.

But see, this is a personal problem. I shouldnt have to pay more for my food so TGI Friday's can show this information on all of its menu's because you don't have will power (or common sense).

 

 

 

Once again, if you (one) are at the point where you need to count calories or see how far you have to walk, you're probably past the point when you realized you are a fat ass that shouldnt be eating this crap.

 

If individual rests. want to do this, fine.

I said I wish Jersey would do it because it's informative. What does will power and/or common sense have to do with preferring more information over no information?

If you (one) are at the point where you need to count pennies and complain about menu prices, you're probably past the point when you realized you're a cheapass that shouldn't be going out to eat...

I said I wish Jersey would do it because it's informative. What does will power and/or common sense have to do with preferring more information over no information?

 

If you (one) are at the point where you need to count pennies and complain about menu prices, you're probably past the point when you realized you're a cheapass that shouldn't be going out to eat...

:rofl::repped:

Again, people have cell phones and internet. If they can take the time to update their facebook profiles, than they have no excuse to not being able to check up on what their eating and what the fat content of it is. People are just plain lazy and getting lazier in every aspect of their lives. Everything is out there for people to learn about and make smart decisions on, if they take the extra few minutes to read up on it.

Yes let's wait for the asaholes on line that need to "quickly" research thsmeir phones for calorie counts

It's not always available on web sites.

Nope, but now the websites will give you a meaningless time to walk. Who wouldnt want that info before eating?!

Those assholes shouldn't be on line until they're ready to order.

"Hold on buddy, im seeing if i can find time to walk the extra half mile for supersizing my meal."

Those assholes shouldn't be on line until they're ready to order.

In a perfect world

I don't think this is anything restaurants should be forced to provide, but if it appeases their customers and/or brings more customers in they should simply because it's a good business decision. On the customer's side, if a restaurant doesn't provide this info and you have a problem with that don't eat there, then if enough people stop eating there for that reason they'll add the menu info.

I guess all I'm saying is if it's something most customers demand it'll happen and no one should have a problem with that. If it doesn't happen it's just not important enough to that many people.

I don't think this is anything restaurants should be forced to provide, but if it appeases their customers and/or brings more customers in they should simply because it's a good business decision. On the customer's side, if a restaurant doesn't provide this info and you have a problem with that don't eat there, then if enough people stop eating there for that reason they'll add the menu info.

 

I guess all I'm saying is if it's something most customers demand it'll happen and no one should have a problem with that. If it doesn't happen it's just not important enough to that many people.

:thankyou: