title: Availability of and ease of access to calorie information on restaurant websites.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Offering calories on restaurant websites might be particularly important for consumer meal planning, but the availability of and ease of accessing this information are unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  We assessed websites for the top 100 U.S. chain restaurants to determine the availability of and ease of access to calorie information as well as website design characteristics. We also examined potential predictors of calorie availability and ease of access.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-two percent of restaurants provided calorie information on their websites; 25% presented calories on a mobile-formatted website. On average, calories could be accessed in 2.35±0.99 clicks. About half of sites (51.2%) linked to calorie information via the homepage. Fewer than half had a separate section identifying healthful options (46.3%), or utilized interactive meal planning tools (35.4%). Quick service/fast casual, larger restaurants, and those with less expensive entrées and lower revenue were more likely to make calorie information available. There were no predictors of ease of access.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Calorie information is both available and largely accessible on the websites of America's leading restaurants. It is unclear whether consumer behavior is affected by the variability in the presentation of calorie information.
authors: Duke Obesity Prevention Program, Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America ; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America.
authors: Gary G
authors: GG
authors: Bennett
authors: Dori M
authors: DM
authors: Steinberg
authors: Michele G
authors: MG
authors: Lanpher
authors: Sandy
authors: S
authors: Askew
authors: Ilana B
authors: IB
authors: Lane
authors: Erica L
authors: EL
authors: Levine
authors: Melody S
authors: MS
authors: Goodman
authors: Perry B
authors: PB
authors: Foley
mesh_terms: D022126:Access to Information; D002149:Energy Intake; D057140:Fast Foods; D005515:Food Labeling; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D009753:Nutritive Value; D012147:Restaurants; D014481:United States
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