Nutrition Information at Fast Food Restaurants Does Not Reduce Consumption

If it were mandatory for restaurants to list nutrition information for all products would it change human behavior and curb calorie consumption? This is the question many cities across the US have asked in the effort to reduce obesity in major cities. In 2008, New York City became the first US city to implement such a strategy. Unfortunately, a recent study has found that since the nutrition labeling law was implemented consumption has actually increased!
Researchers at New York University compared the eating habits of adults in a low-income area of NYC to those of adults in Newark, NJ, where nutrition labeling is not required. Receipts were collected from 1,156 people at Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonald's and Wendy's. They also completed a survey.
Although nutrition awareness increased by more than three-fold the total calories purchased actually increased over the first year of this intervention; the opposite of the desired effect.
In an interview with Reuters News, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg suggested the purpose is to provide education, but it's still the consumer's responsibility to make better choices. Thus, providing the opportunity to make an informed decision about food does not suggest that Americans will choose wisely. Most experts agree that this is only part of the solution and that once a more complete program that also incorporates knowledge of why and how food decisions effect health there will be a positive effect on obesity in cities.