I found this cool article that was results from a study that showed that after calorie counts were posted, there were decreases in sales but only for a short period of time. Researchers from NY and Yale University found that only 28% of customers' ordering were affected by the posted calorie counts and 54% of the customers didn't even notice the calorie counts that were posted on the menu.
Also, the Los Angeles County Public Health department found that if only 10% of customers who go to fast food chains change their diet by ordering a meal 100 calories less than what they usually order, 38.9% of the 6.75 million pounds the total population gained each year could be averted. Thats a huuuuge difference and could change the rate of obesity.
With the two week test that the author talks about in the beginning of the article, they said that with the calorie postings, high calorie items decreased in sales while the lower calorie options increase, yet once the postings were removed, the sales went close to the previous rate.
I thought this article was interesting since it showed results of an experiement of the impact the calorie postings would have. Many states have it a law to show the calorie counts, so it will be interesting to see if these changes will make future healtheir lifestyles for fast food customers.
Hey Laura!
ReplyDeleteI was just reading this article earlier today! I was considering doing my post on it but you beat me to it! I think this is a really interesting article as well because it goes to show that human minds can and will be manipulated by advertised information. The article states that once the calorie information was removed, sales gradually moved back to their previous levels.
Although this study was only a 2 week study, image what the long-run would be like. People would gradually become very aware of how many calories are in the food they consume and probably be willing to change their diets. I like seeing that studies, such as this one, are attempted because it never hurts to inform people of new information.
Some places in NYC reported a drop in sales right after they were required to post their calorie information. Sometimes, when it comes to QSR's and chain restaurants, I think that people would rather not know how much or how little nutritional information is in their food. Especially posting how many calories are in some menu items can be scary for both producer and consumer. But this goes to show that people have a right to know what they eat and how it can impact their body.
-Nina Psillos
Wow! This article is crazy becuase we did our project on how so many states are changing their laws to add calorie counts on menus, and people aren't even affected by the change. People just have to get used to the fact that America is changing. America wants to be healthy and it's not going away. Therefore instead of people ignoring the new changes, they should just embrass them.
ReplyDeleteEveryone knows that America is one of the least healthy nations. For the past few years states have been trying to pass these laws to help Americans live healthier lives. Personally my family has changed their eating patterns in many ways. We now always drink water and always buy fresh produce. Mostly due to the fact that America doesn't accept you to be unhealthy. There is so much sickness that derives from unhealthy eating patterns that in order to stay alive, you want to eat more healthy. In class we talked about the "shock tactics" used by people that want to get customers to buy their products but this can be used in a diffrent sense. The goverentment is using the same "scare tactics" to get Americans on board for healthier eating habbits.
Although the numbers are low now, I believe that America just needs some time to adjust to the major changes.
Leya
This article was a big shock to me. First, i thought it was interesting how sales went down at first when calorie counts were available. The people that occasionaly eat at fast food places are finally realizing how bad this food is and are finally making the decision to stop.
ReplyDeleteI thought that the fact that people are starting to order less calorie filled foods is a great sign that maybe, just maybe this new fad of changing the obesity in America may be working. I agree with Leya when she said that America needs time to adjust and this statistic of Americans starting to buy lower calorie foods is just a start.
I feel that if Americans are giving the option and the right education, we will eventually shrink the obesity problem.
Ok so i have to disagree with Aaron. Aaron i did not feel it was shocking because when Americans go out to eat they normally go with friends and family members. They do not want to order the highest calorie entree because most Americans care to much of what people think of them.Leya we for sure hit a few of the topics on our project. America is changing completely and people do need to realize that. Our next presidental election could change everything with health care and even laws, advertisments and proposals for healthier habits.
ReplyDeleteNina, you are always thinking deepier into things then any of us. I forgot that it was only a two week period and as seasons change and time goes on I am sure that they got the message out there and more and more people have changed their normal choice to something healthier.
-Vanessa