title: The impact of menu labeling on fast-food purchases for children and parents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nutrition labeling of menus has been promoted as a means for helping consumers make healthier food choices at restaurants. As part of national health reform, chain restaurants will be required to post nutrition information at point-of-purchase, but more evidence regarding the impact of these regulations, particularly in children, is needed.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether nutrition labeling on restaurant menus results in a lower number of calories purchased by children and their parents.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective cohort study compared restaurant receipts of those aged 6-11 years and their parents before and after a menu-labeling regulation in Seattle/King County (S/KC) (n=75), with those from a comparison sample in nonregulated San Diego County (SDC) (n=58). Data were collected in 2008 and 2009 and analyzed in 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In S/KC, there was a significant increase from pre- to post-regulation (44% vs 87%) in parents seeing nutrition information, with no change in SDC (40% vs 34%). Average calories purchased for children did not change in either county (823 vs 822 in S/KC, 984 vs 949 in SDC). There was an approximately 100-calorie decrease for the parents postregulation in both counties (823 vs 720 in S/KC, 895 vs 789 in SDC), but no difference between counties.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A restaurant menu-labeling regulation increased parents' nutrition information awareness but did not decrease calories purchased for either children or parents.
authors.affiliation: Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, University of Washington, USA. pooja@uw.edu
authors.forename: Pooja S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Tandon
authors.forename: Chuan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Nadine L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lozano
authors.forename: Sarah C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Couch
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Glanz
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Krieger
authors.forename: Brian E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Saelens
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002755:Choice Behavior; D015331:Cohort Studies; D002149:Energy Intake; D057140:Fast Foods; D005515:Food Labeling / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D005518:Food Preferences; D006801:Humans; D010290:Parents; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012147:Restaurants / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014861:Washington