A story on the Medical News Today Web site says that an analysis by the UC Berkeley Center for Weight and Health shows that California adults could avoid gaining 2.7 pounds a year if calories were posted on fast-food menu boards statewide.
The analysis combines findings of two studies, the article says:
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A 2008 New York City study found that patrons of fast-food restaurants where calorie counts were shown consumed 52 fewer calories per visit.
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A 2007 consumer survey shows that California adults who eat at fast-food chains do so an average of 3.4 times per week.
Doing the math, the researchers calculated that Californians would cut more than 9,000 calories a year from their diets if they saw the calorie counts on menus.
"Menu board labeling has the potential to dramatically alter the trajectory of the obesity epidemic in California," UC Berkeley states in its report, Potential Impact on Menu Labeling of Fast Foods in California, according to the article.
Click here for a pdf version of the 11-page report.
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