Minneapolis Department of Health and Family Support
Calorie Labeling on Restaurant Menus
Research Brief, April 2008
Background
Away-from-home foods account for approximately one-third of daily calories consumed by individuals in the US and
approximately 44% of adults dine at a restaurant on any given day.1 According to the US dietary guidelines, Americans
should limit calorie consumption to reduce the prevalence of obesity.2 To address the issue of overweight and obesity,
calorie information at the point of purchase allows consumers to make
Point of Purchase
informed decisions.
 Refers to whether calorie information is available
at the time of ordering
Impact of Diet on Health
 Calorie information offered on web-sites,
 Minneapolis sustainability indicator for healthy weight is to increase
brochures, posters, tray liners and food wrappers
the proportion of adults at a healthy weight.
often go unseen and/or are accessible after a
 64% of Americans overweight or obese.3,4
purchase has already been made
 Over the last 20 years, obesity rates have doubled in American adults
and tripled in teens, with restaurants contributing significantly to this increase.5
 Obesity costs the public, businesses and the government approximately $117 billion yearly in health care and related
costs.6
 In the US, unhealthy diets and physical inactivity are leading causes of premature death, disabilities and high health care
costs and contribute significantly to heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes. 7-8
Calories in Common Restaurant Items
2,000
recommended daily caloric
intake (2000 calories)
1,500
Calories
Food Consumption at Restaurants
 Americans purchase a meal or snack from
a restaurant approximately 6 times per
week.9
 In 1955, 25% of food expenditures within
the US were spent on away-from-home
foods; today that has risen to 48%
(representing one-third of daily caloric
intake) 10
 Research shows higher body mass index
(BMI) in those who eat out more
often.11,12
 Studies reveal that calorie estimation of
restaurant items is consistently inaccurate;
more than 2/3 of participants were unable
to correctly identify calorie amounts of all
items presented.13,14
1,090
1,100
1,150
1,000
960
1,057
500
0
Dairy Queen
Jimmy
Mcdonald's
Chicken
Jonn's
Large
Strips 4pc
Gourmet
Vanilla
BBQ Sauce Veggie Club
Shake
Perkin's
Ham and
Cheese
Omelet
Old Chicago
Chicken
Caesar
Salad
Many popular restaurant entrees provide 1,000 calories each; more than ½
of daily caloric intake for an average adult.11
Calorie Labeling Provides Important Nutritional Information
 The 1994 Nutrition Education and Labeling Act (NELA) require all packaged foods to bear a nutrition facts label.
Foods purchased for immediate consumption in away-from-home food establishments are exempt from this legislation,
leaving consumers with limited knowledge when they are ordering food away from the home.15
 Nutrition labels are associated with eating a more healthful diet because they provide consumers with the information
needed to make informed food choices.16
 The US Department of Agriculture has made calorie labeling on restaurant menus one of its top recommendations as a
result of a Keystone Forum on preventing obesity through away-from-home foods.17
Components of Calorie Labeling Policies Across the Nation
 Calorie labeling applies only to standard and consistent menu items and does not apply to customized orders and daily
specials.
 Policies typically affect food establishments with at least 15 national restaurant outlets
 Policies have been passed in: New York City, King County, WA, Washington D.C., California, San Francisco, CA and
Montgomery County, MD
 Legislation has withstood legal challenges in each municipality faced with litigation regarding calorie labeling on
restaurant menus: New York and King County, WA.
References
1. Center for Science in the Public Interest. www.cspinet.org
2. Dietary Guidelines, USDA. http://www.health.gov/DietaryGuidelines/
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Overweight and Obesity: Obesity Trends. Available at:
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/trend/index.htm
4. 2006 Hennepin County SHAPE survey. Minneapolis Living Well: 2007 Sustainability Report
5. Jacobson, M.F. The Hidden Cost of Eating Out. Nutrition Action Health Letter. April, 2004:2
6. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight
and Obesity. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service 2001. Office of the Surgeon General.
7. Burton BT et al. Health implications of obesity: NIH consensus development conference. International Journal of Obesity
Related Metabolic Disorders. 1998. 22;39-47
8. Anderson R., Smith B. Deaths: Leading Causes for 2001. National Vital Statistics Report 52 (9). National Center for Health
Statistics, 2003, p.13
9. National Restaurant Association. “Industry Fact Sheet.” http://www.restaurant.org/research/ind_glance.cfm.”
Accessed April 4, 2008.
10. National Restaurant Association. http://www.restaurant.org/. Accessed April 22, 2008.
11. Jeffrey RW, French SA. Epidemic Obesity in the United States: are fast foods and television viewing contributing?
American Journal of Public Health. 1998; 88:277-280
12. French SA, Harnack L, Jeffrey RW. Fast food restaurant use among women in the Pound of Prevention study: dietary,
behavioral and demographic correlates. International Journal of Obesity Related Metabolic Disorders. 2000;24:1353-1359
13. King County Public Health: Nutrition Menu Labeling in King County: Fact Sheet.
http://www.metrokc.gov/Health/healthyeating/menu/
14. California Center For Public Health Advocacy. Menu Labeling Poll.
http://www.publichealthadvocacy.org/PDFs/menupresskit.pdf. Accessed August 7, 2008.
15. Economic Research Service (ERS): Nutrition Labeling in the Food Away From Home Sector. (2005)
16. Kreuter et al. Do Nutrition Label Readers Eat Healthier Diets? Behavioral Correlates of Adults’ Use of Food Labels.
American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 1997. 13:277-283
17. Keystone Forum on Away-From-Home Foods: Opportunities for Preventing Weight Gain and Obesity. Final Report.
Washington D.C. May, 2006. www.keystone.org