Flies in the Ointment? Addressing Potential Impediments to Population-Based Health Benefits of Restaurant Menu Labeling Initiatives

Abstract

Section 4205 of the U.S. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (2010) will require calorie labeling of food products sold in restaurant chains in the near future. However, research regarding the potential impact of this policy is mixed. The authors note some key impediments that diminish the likelihood of population-based reductions in calorie consumption, in addition to necessary conditions required to realize long-term favorable effects of menu labeling initiatives. The authors discuss key moderators of labeling effects that need to be considered and offer recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of calorie labeling. They also consider specific opportunities for further research and unintended consequences of labeling of restaurant items. They argue that although calorie labeling may not have a substantial impact in the short run on the broad population of restaurant diners, specific segments should benefit, and there potentially will be reductions in purchases of less healthy items for which the expectations of calorie-conscious consumers have been inaccurate.