title: Consumers may not use or understand calorie labeling in restaurants.
abstract: This study was an investigation of the possible utility of calorie labeling legislation in restaurants in community (n=649) and college student (n=316) samples. Only 48% to 66% of participants presently looked at food labels, and 64% to 73% were able to report accurate knowledge of daily caloric needs. Furthermore, 44% to 57% reported that they were not likely to use food label information in restaurants if it were available. Therefore, public education campaigns focused on calorie requirements may need to precede restaurant labeling, and perhaps other possibilities in labeling formats should be considered (eg, defining foods as "low," "moderate," and "high" calorie).
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Vermont, 2 Colchester Avenue, John Dewey Hall, Burlington, VT 05405, USA. Rebecca.Krukowski@uvm.edu
authors.forename: Rebecca A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Krukowski
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Harvey-Berino
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kolodinsky
authors.forename: Rashmi T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Narsana
authors.forename: Thomas P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Desisto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001835:Body Weight; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D005515:Food Labeling / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control; D012147:Restaurants; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013689:Telephone; D014495:Universities