Adding calorie totals to the labels of major American restaurants will save American lives and billions of dollars, a study suggests.
In May 2018, the United States Department of Agriculture began requiring all chains with 20 locations or more to list calorie counts on their menus.
With an estimated 20 percent of all American meals eaten at a restaurant, researchers believe the labeling change reduced the average amount of calories consumed per meal by 20 to 60.
The Tufts University team believes this has helped the average American’s weight drop by a pound a year. Over time, they think the change will prevent 28,000 deaths from obesity and 16,700 from cancer in the next life.
Tufts researchers built a model that finds that regulations forcing restaurant chains with more than 20 locations to put calorie numbers on their menus has significantly lowered obesity rates — helping prevent cancer cases (file photo)
More than a dozen cancers are linked to obesity, and lowering rates of the condition may also help lower cancer rates.
America is currently facing an obesity crisis, with more than 40 percent of the population overweight.
This, in turn, saves the nation as a whole millions in health care costs and keeps people in work, where they can continue to contribute to the economy.
Researchers estimate that this simple menu change alone could save $3 billion in long-term savings.
Tufts researchers say it is responsible for two in five cancers, including colon cancer which is more common in young people.
“It’s important for us to continue to show consumers, policymakers and industry how small changes can lead to big benefits,” said Dr. Mengxi Du, the study’s lead author and a nutritionist at Tufts, near Boston.
Our population-level view suggests that these labels may be associated with substantial health gains and savings in cancer-related health care costs that could be doubled with additional industry response.
“Like by replacing high-calorie menu items with low-calorie options or reformulating recipes.”
Researchers speculate that displaying calories on menus forced many restaurants to cut calories on their most unhealthy items.
Clearly displaying calorie markers on foods before a person orders can also encourage them to choose healthier options.
Many nutritionists do not recommend eating in restaurants, as food is more likely to contain an excess of salt, sugar and trans fats.
It’s also harder for someone to know exactly what’s in their food because many menus don’t have a full list of ingredients.
However, eating out still forms a large part of the American diet. This was revealed in a 2019 survey 56 percent of Americans eat out two to three times a week.
Americans get about 20 percent of their calories from restaurant meals.
Tufts’ research team built a model that assumed 20 to 60 pounds would fall from every meal someone eats in a restaurant because of the labels.
Over a year, this accounts for about a pound of weight loss.
They believe the weight change will prevent obesity cases from developing. As a result, fewer of the 13 obesity-related cancers will develop over time.
These include colorectal cancer, which experts have warned is on the rise among people under 65 – the age at which the disease usually develops.
“From this research, we can see how labeling policies that effectively encourage consumers to make healthier food choices are a form of cancer prevention – they reduce the likelihood of obesity and getting an obesity-associated cancer, while improving quality of life.” Dr. Fang Fang Zhang, a cancer epidemiologist at Tufts, said.
“This policy does not require much expenditure, especially compared to the cost of cancer screening, but it brings many benefits.”
Researchers believe the change in menu labeling is most helpful for young people ages 20 to 44, who still have a long way to go to avoid lifestyle behaviors that put them at risk for cancer.
Reducing obesity can also prevent deaths from other illnesses related to the condition, such as heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Overall, the change could save about $3 billion over the course of your lifetime.
But it’s unclear how much can actually be drawn from these numbers. Little research has been done on whether calorie labels influence consumer behavior.
The study assumes that restaurant eaters make decisions based on calorie labels, if they look at them at all.
It is also difficult to say whether companies changed their offerings five years ago instead of the new regulations.