FDA Ruling Provides Consumers with Calorie Labeling Information to Make Informed Food Choices

The Obesity Society says weight loss can be more challenging without readily available caloric information

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Nov 25, 2014, 03:10 ET

SILVER SPRING, Md., Nov. 25, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration took a step to help consumers make informed food selections with two rules issued today (Nov. 25, 2014) that require calorie information to be listed on menus in chain restaurants. The final rules come after FDA considered more than 1,100 comments submitted to the agency and on the heels of new research illustrating the benefits of calorie labeling for consumers.

"Americans eat and drink about one-third of their calories away from home and people today expect clear information about the products they consume," said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, MD in a press release. "Making calorie information available on chain restaurant menus and vending machines is an important step for public health that will help consumers make informed choices for themselves and their families."

The Obesity Society commends efforts to provide more information to consumers so they are better able to make informed decisions regarding their food choices and their health.

"More information is a great thing to provide, particularly when it comes to our food choices," says Diana Thomas, Ph.D., TOS Advocacy Committee Member and Director of the Center for Quantitative Obesity Research and Professor at Montclair State University who studies the impact of calorie counting on obesity. "We've found that making caloric information easily accessible is helpful for people affected by obesity even if they do not lose weight, primarily because it helps identify how effective informed decision-making as a part of weight-loss treatment may be for that specific individual. If a person chooses to eat high-energy foods despite knowing the content, then we look to other strategies to help them, which could include pharmacotherapy or surgery."

"Now that this information will be readily available away from home, weight-loss interventions can include it as part of a more richly informed lifestyle modification program," continued Dr. Thomas. "Without the calorie information, free-living weight loss can be much more challenging because people don't have the information they need to make that informed, healthier choice."

New research published in the November issue of Obesity ties calorie labeling to reduced weight gain. On November 5 at The Obesity Society Annual Meeting at ObesityWeek^SM 2014, researcher Charoula Konstantia Nikolaou, BSc, MSc, RD, a Ph.D. student at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, unveiled the findings of this first long-term study on calorie labeling, which found the strategy effective for reducing weight gain for college students by 50%. Her presentation was part of the Obesity Journal Symposium, where authors of six high-impact research studies presented their work to a packed room.

"Previous literature has shown little or no benefit from calorie labeling; however, that research did not look at long-term exposure, and in those studies most consumers did not notice the calorie labels," says Nikolaou, who is a TOS member. Labels used in the study were more prominently displayed.

While this is the only study showing the long-term impact of calorie labeling on weight over a two-year period, TOS agrees that the data are promising. The Society recognizes that other studies indicate negligible or conflicting effects on consumer choices on weight, and encourages additional research on the impact of calorie labeling on weight. Further, the Society cautions against viewing calorie labeling as a "cure all" for obesity.

"Much more is needed to help improve the food environment, including finalizing the proposed rule which will place added sugars in food on the Nutrition Facts Panel," said Amanda Staiano, Ph.D., TOS Public Affairs Chair and assistant professor at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. "Obesity is problem that goes much further than what's in our food, and a solution requires a multi-pronged approach. Obesity is one of the most pervasive, chronic diseases in need of new strategies for medical treatment and prevention. Obesity researchers continue to identify new causes that go far beyond food choices, and include genetics, other health conditions and hormonal problems, medications, lack of sleep, stress, bacteria (or lack of) and even viruses."

Copyright: Information in this press release can be reprinted in full or in part with attribution to The Obesity Society.

About The Obesity Society:
The Obesity Society (TOS) is the leading professional society dedicated to better understanding, preventing and treating obesity. Through research, education and advocacy, TOS is committed to improving the lives of those affected by the disease. For more information visit: www.Obesity.org. Connect with us on social media:Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

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SOURCE The Obesity Society