This Article was posted in http://blogs.consumerreports.org/health/2010/01/nutrition-labels-influence-how-parents-order-healthier-fast-food-options-obesity-epidemic-.html, January 27, 2010 by Ginger Skinner
When you go up to a food counter and see nutrition information listed there, does it influence what you order? How about what you order for your kids? A study published Monday found that parents who ordered for their children from a fast-food menu with calorie counts chose foods with fewer calories—20 percent fewer calories than parents who were not aware of the nutritional value.
Researchers at Children’s Research Institute in Seattle enlisted 99 parents who were split into two groups—a control group and an intervention group. They were then asked to select meals for themselves and their child from a McDonald’s menu. Both groups were given a menu with the same food options. The intervention group’s menu included nutrition information and the study found that this group ordered an average of 102 fewer calories than the parents in the control group.
If you’re a parent, you know that meals prepared at home are the best bet when it comes to healthy eating. But all parents know that fast food can be a quick and convenient choice at times—and who needs even more parental guilt? So the next time you’re at a fast-food restaurant, look for the nutrition information before you order. It will likely be posted on a chart on the wall or on the menu. If you can’t find it, ask the server or a manager to help. And talk to your kids about what you see there, comparing a grilled chicken sandwich to a double cheeseburger, for instance. Given that obesity has now surpassed smoking as the leading threat to our health, these conversations can lead your children to better eating habits and help them to make their own healthy decisions in the future.
—Ginger Skinner
This Article was posted in http://blogs.consumerreports.org/health/2010/01/nutrition-labels-influence-how-parents-order-healthier-fast-food-options-obesity-epidemic-.html, January 27, 2010 by Ginger Skinner
