Calorie counts and other nutritional information will soon have to be on the menus of large chain restaurants in the province of Ontario. The government plans to make it the law this winter in a bid to counter the growing obesity problem in the province. The hope is that once they are provided with the information, patrons will choose foods that have lower calorie counts.
About two-thirds of Canadians are overweight or obese. Among children it’s one-quarter. The numbers have doubled or tripled over the last 20 years.
At the same time Canadians are increasingly eating meals away from home. They have busier lifestyles and as more women join the work force they may opt to eat out or take out food rather than prepare it themselves. So restaurants appear to be a logical place to try to tackle the obesity problem.
Canadians want more information
Nine out of ten Canadians want more calorie and nutritional information according to surveys. It’s less clear what they actually do with it. Canadian studies so far indicate that one-third of people say they have used the information to select a healthier item and it appears that results in a 50 to 100 calorie reduction per meal.
While it may not seem like much, the reduction adds up and is not insignificant, according to Dave Hammond, associate professor in the School of Public Health and Health Systems at the University of Waterloo. “When you think about the changes in obesity it’s the result of small incremental changes in our diet. And if we’re going to reduce obesity it’s also going to be the result of small incremental changes and this is one example.
“Not a magic bullet”
“This is not a magic bullet,” says Hammond. “It’s not going to turn people into healthy eaters. Everyone’s not going to walk out of McDonald’s with an apple. I think it’s primarily going to have an impact on people who are already trying to make conscious decisions.”
Estimating calories is difficult
Calorie contents can be difficult to estimate, says Hammond. “It’s not intuitive. There have been studies with dieticians where they have trouble identifying what’s healthy. You know, often a muffin has more calories or fat than a doughnut does. So this is about people who are already trying to make healthy decisions, it makes it a little bit easier for them.”
Restaurants may find it “embarrassing”
Restaurants may also decide to offer healthier options once they have to post nutritional information. “Frankly it’s embarrassing…if you have to put up 2,000 mgs of sodium or 1,500 calories for an appetizer,” says Hammond. “We know that some places in the U.S. where this (kind of law) has been implemented do change. They change the recipes. They might drop an option or two. It may actually have a benefit before the consumer even steps into the store.”
The Ontario government will hold consultations with the food industry and the health-care sector before passing the legislation. It will have to decide exactly which restaurants would have to conform to the law. It is clear however it will not apply to small “mom-and-pop” establishments.
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