Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Monday 28 august 2017
NYC calorie rule scrutinized in courts of law, and science

By JENNIFER PELTZ chains that have posted surrounding King County
Associated Press them for years. found some calorie-cut-
NEW YORK (AP) — As a “This addresses the most ting, though particularly
court fight simmers over basic of needs — provid- by women and custom-
New York City’s pioneer- ing us with nutrition infor- ers who said they took
ing requirement for calo- mation to make health- menu postings into ac-
rie counts on chain res- ful decisions at the time count when ordering.
taurant menus, scientists of decision-making,” While the overall evi-
say the jury’s still out on spokeswoman Stephanie dence is mixed, “I think
whether giving people Buhle said this week. it’s still reasonable to say
the numbers spurs them About 1 million New York- that among those who
to eat healthier. ers see calorie data every see and use the informa-
The city says that by re- day, according to Health tion, it is helpful to them
quiring eateries to tell Department research, — and why wouldn’t you
people that their $4 and a 2011 Quinnipiac want to give consumers
cheeseburger will also University poll found 79 information?” says Univer-
cost them about 540 cal- percent of city voters sity of Washington medi-
ories, it’s helping diners found the information cal professor Jim Krieger,
make informed choices useful. a co-author of the King
in an era of rising obesity. But if it’s useful, do people County study. He also runs
New York City’s first-in-the- use it? Healthy Food America,
nation rule took full effect At least three research a food policy advocacy
in 2008. It was copied by analyses have said group.
other cities and counties there’s no definitive proof Krieger and others have
and a half-dozen states it leads to lower-calorie also done research that
and became part of Pres- In this Aug. 24, 2017 photo, a KFC menu displays meal selections orders for diners and eat- suggests some restau-
ident Barack Obama’s with calorie counts, in New York. Associated Press eries in general, though rants offer lower-calorie
2010 health care over- researchers involved note dishes after labeling re-
haul. rants’ recipes, researchers stop New York City from that they may not have quirements.
The repeatedly delayed say. enforcing a retooled rule captured small effects. And researchers note
federal regulation, which “What we haven’t seen expanding the calorie
extends to grocery and so far is any sort of dra- labeling requirements to
convenience store chain matic change in the num- groceries and other small
menus, is now set to take ber of calories purchased markets, saying the city
effect next year. at the population level,” was forcing businesses to
But plenty of opponents says Dr. Brian Elbel, a New spend thousands of dol-
to the idea remain, in- York University health pol- lars complying with a lo-
cluding some who ques- icy professor who co-au- cal rule when a national
tion its effectiveness. thored a 2014 analysis of one is coming.
Studies to date haven’t 31 studies on the subject, On Friday, a Manhattan
conclusively shown that some of them his own. But federal judge approved
restaurant-goers, on the “some people are defi- a deal among lawyers on
whole, actually order nitely seeing and using both sides that ensures the
lighter foods when the this information.” city will not enforce the
calorie tally is right there. The National Association expansion before May.
It appears to influence of Convenience Stores The agreement also en-
some people, in some set- cited some of that re- sures that calorie counts
tings, and possibly restau- search when it sued to won’t disappear from In this May 3, 2017 file photo, information cards provide calo-
rie count and price for food items on display at a Whole Foods
store, in New York.
Associated Press
Some scientists feel the that calorie counts could
research shows the policy have hard-to-measure
falls short. Menu labeling effects, such as help-
“might not be the prop- ing gradually shift eating
er prescription,” Indiana norms and expectations.
University medical profes- “It’s unreasonable to say,
sor Dr. Aaron Campbell ‘If this one policy doesn’t
wrote in The New York reduce obesity, it’s a fail-
Times in 2015. ure,’ because the chanc-
But some individual stud- es any one policy will do
ies have found effects. that are incredibly small,”
Some Stanford University says Dr. Christina Roberto,
business professors’ 2010 a University of Pennsyl-
examination of over 100 vania health policy pro-
million Starbucks purchas- fessor who’s worked on
es found that menu post- several studies on menu
ings trimmed the calories calorie counts.
in customers’ orders by “We don’t even have the
an average of 6 percent, best data yet. And I think
In this Aug. 24, 2017 photo, a deli worker helps a customer with a selection of prepared foods at a from 247 to 232. there are a lot of com-
Whole Foods Market, in New York. In another example, a mon-sense reasons to do
Associated Press 2013 study in Seattle and it,” she says.q