While reading the Wall Street Journal this morning I read an article by Carl Bialik titled "Caloric Disclosures Fail to Weigh Whole Enchilada". In the article he discussed menu labeling and how sometimes it's not entirely truthful. Americans and the rest of the world are fighting high rates of obesity. Menu labeling is one way to help fight the rising rates of obesity.

Image Courtesy of the WSJ

New York City has been a pioneer in creating laws requiring restaurants to post nutritional information on their selections. The NYC health department surveyed 7,318 NYC diners as they left 275 fast food restaurants during weekday lunch hours. The restaurants were chosen because they posted nutritional data in one way or another.

I found it interesting that in the survey, nearly one-third of Subway customers reported noticing the nutritional information compared to only 5% of customers at the other chains. More than one-third of the Subway customers said the posted nutritional information affected their orders and those choices averaged 99 fewer calories.

Some menu labeling opponents argue that Subway promotes healthy eating and focuses its advertising on healthy choices and weight loss. This could lead to its customers being more inclined to notice the nutritional information. Because of Subway's marketing practices, they believe that the marketing practices led to better choices and not the menu labels. Therefore they say we can't fully credit the Subway results.

Margo Wootan, director of nutritional policy for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, and a leading advocate for menu labels disagrees. She points out that there is less opportunity to cut calories at Subway because of the menu's narrow caloric range. At Nathan's, by comparison, a large order of fries has nearly 800 more calories than a hot dog, meaning customers can reduce their intake more sharply.

The other issue with menu labeling is that caloric counts are subject to dispute. Last year several menu items were sent to independent labs for testing and the results deviated from the posted caloric content. Usually the posted caloric content made the menu items look healthier. Several representatives from the restaurants were quick to point out that meals can vary depending on the location and conditions. Despite their claims, most restaurants only send one item out for testing instead of multiple samples to achieve a more accurate average.

Food and menu labeling will not solve the obesity problem in America. However I believe it is a step in the right direction. Now that I have chosen to lead a healthier lifestyle, I am more conscious of what I eat and I would love to have a better idea of the caloric content of the food I am ordering at a restaurant.