Calories, fats, $s, £s and adoles¢s

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Calories, fats, $s, £s and adoles¢s

Hi All,

The below pdf-available study examined the effect of revealing the caloric and

fat

contents of fast-food meals with how adolescents were affected.

That the cost of meals increased might be not expected, but may encourage those

in

the fast-food industry to reveal nutritional information on menus.

It may be that CR and fat reduction occurred in only a minority of the subjects

and

the lack of the overweight status effect should not affect the significance.

That 3/5 authors were from high schools for the study was different.

J Adolesc Health. 2005 Nov;37(5):397-402.

Adolescent fast food and restaurant ordering behavior with and without calorie

and

fat content menu information.

Yamamoto JA, Yamamoto JB, Yamamoto BE, Yamamoto LG.

PMID: 16227125

.... Adolescent volunteers (aged 11 to 18 years) were asked to order a dinner of

their choice from three different restaurant menus (Mc’s, Panda Express,

and

Denny’s) and then from a second set of modified menus with calorie and fat

content

information posted next to each menu item. Total reported consumed calories,

fat,

and the price of the meal ordered were calculated for each meal.

Results

For the first 106 adolescents enrolled, 75 did not change any of their orders

after

being shown the calorie and fat content information. For the 31 who did change

some

of their orders, 43 meals resulted in decreased calories and 11 meals resulted

in

increased calories (20 resulted in a more expensive meal, 23 resulted in a less

expensive meal and 11 resulted in no change in the cost of the meal; average

change

$0.027 increase). Of the 27 who rated themselves as too fat or slightly

overweight,

only 9 (33%) changed their orders.

Conclusions

The provision of calorie and fat content information on the menus did not modify

the

food ordering behavior for the majority of adolescents. However, the provision

of

the nutrition information should still be encouraged because it resulted in some

calorie/fat reduction by some of the adolescents and it did not adversely affect

the

restaurants’ revenue.

.... Table 2 summarizes the mean calories and fat ordered at each of the three

restaurants for the initial standard restaurant menus, then the subsequent

modified

menus containing calorie and fat content information. p Values in this table for

Panda Express and Denny’s are derived from paired t-tests using Mc’s as

the

comparison group. More calories and fat were ordered at Denny’s compared with

Mc’s. Less fat was ordered at Panda Express compared with Mc’s.

Table 2. Calories, fat, cost for meals ordered (means±SD)

=============

Mc’s Panda Express Denny’s

=============

Standard menu orders

Mean calories 933±354 874±301 (NS) 1031±437 (p = .023)

Mean cals/kg 18.6±7.9 17.3±6.6 (NS) 20.7±10.1 (p = .018)

Mean fat (in grams) 40.3±15.8 29.9±14.6 (p < .001) 49.3±25.1 (p < .001)

Mean fat(g)/kg 0.8±0.4 0.6±0.3 (p < .001) 1.0±0.5 (p < .001)

Mean price $4.16±$1.30 $6.83±$1.27 (p < .001) $9.96±$2.25 (p < .001)

Nutrition information (calories and fat content) menu orders

Mean calories 888±385 837±342 (NS) 1010±463 (p = .004)

Mean cals/kg 17.7±8.5 16.5±7.3 (NS) 20.3±10.8 (p = .002)

Mean fat (in grams) 38.2±16.9 28.3±15.9 (p < .001) 47.7±26.8 (p < .001)

Mean fat(g)/kg 0.8±0.4 0.6±0.3 (p < .001) 1.0±0.6 (p < .001)

Mean price $4.14±$1.30 $6.72±$1.15 (p < .001) $10.05±$2.47 (p < .001)

=============

p Values are derived from paired t-tests using Mc’s as the comparison

group

versus Panda Express or Denny’s.

Paired t-tests comparing the initial calories and fat ordered at each restaurant

from the standard menu compared with the calories and fat content of the orders

from

the modified menus are summarized in Table 3. The modified menus resulted in

significantly lower calories and fat ordered at Mc’s and Panda Express.

However, the modified menus did not significantly reduce the calorie and fat

content

of the orders at Denny’s.

Table 3. Comparison of calories, fat, cost for meals ordered (means±SD) from

the

standard menus compared to the modified menus

===============

Standard menu orders Modified menu orders p Value

===============

Mc’s

Calories 933±354 888±385 .002

Cals/kg 18.6±7.9 17.7±8.5 .003

Fat (grams) 40.3±15.8 38.2±16.9 .001

Fat/kg 0.80±0.36 0.76±0.37 .002

Price $4.16±$1.30 $4.14±1.30 NS

Panda Express

Calories 874±301 837±342 .005

Cals/kg 17.3±6.6 16.5±7.3 .005

Fat (grams) 29.9±14.6 28.3±15.9 .004

Fat/kg 0.59±0.30 0.55±0.33 .004

Price $6.77±$1.13 $6.72±1.15 NS

Denny’s

Calories 1031±437 1010±463 NS

Cals/kg 20.7±10.1 20.3±10.8 NS

Fat (grams) 49.3±25.1 47.7±26.8 NS

Fat/kg 0.98±0.53 0.95±0.58 NS

Price $9.96±$2.25 $10.05±$2.47 NS

================

p Values are derived from paired t-tests using the standard menu orders compared

to

the modified menu orders.

Table 4 summarizes the number of orders changed after being shown the modified

menus

containing calorie/fat content information. Of the 106 subjects, 75 did not

change

any of their orders after being shown the calorie and fat content information.

For

the 31 who did change at least one of their orders (3 orders per subject, 93

orders

total), 43 meals resulted in decreased calories and 11 meals resulted in

increased

calories (the remaining 39 meals were unchanged). Of the 54 meals that were

changed,

20 resulted in a more expensive meal, 23 resulted in a less expensive meal and

11

resulted in no change in the cost of the meal (average change $0.027 increase).

Two

sets of means describing decreases in calories and fat are listed in Table 4.

The

higher means are the changes averaged over only those who changed their order.

The

lower means are the changes averaged over all 106 study subjects.

Table 4. Number of orders changed after being shown calorie/fat content

information

===============

Mc’s Panda Express Denny’s

===============

Total meals ordered (n = 106 × 3) 106 106 106

Calories increased 3 2 6

Calories decreased 16 16 11

Mean calories decrease 248 (19 meals) 218 (18 meals) 131 (17 meals)

45 (106 meals) 37 (106 meals) 21 (106 meals)

Fat increased 3 2 5

Fat decreased 16 16 12

Mean fat change 11.8 (19 meals) 9.4 (18 meals) 10.5 (17 meals)

2.1 (106 meals) 1.6 (106 meals) 2.7 (106 meals)

Price increased 9 5 6

Price decreased 10 5 8

No price change 0 8 3

Mean price change $0.14 decrease $0.26 decrease $0.51 increase

Although Table 3 demonstrates significant declines in calories and fat ordered

at

Mc’s and Panda Express, these declines are owing to the changes made by

only

19 of 106 meals at Mc’s and 18 of 106 meals at Panda Express. Thus,

although

the calorie and fat reductions are statistically significant, the changes

occurred

in fewer than 20% of the study subjects. More than 80% of the study subjects did

not

change their meal orders when presented with the modified menus.

Of the 27 who rated themselves as too fat or slightly overweight, only 9 (32%)

changed their orders after nutrition information was revealed and of these, only

3

subjects changed their ordering for all three restaurants. These 9 subjects

changed

a total of 17 of 27 meal orders (16 changed to lower calories and 1 changed to

higher calories).

Of the 8 who rated themselves as too skinny, only 2 changed some of their

orders,

with 2 meals changed to higher calories and 1 meal changed to lower calories.

Table 5 further stratifies the initial standard menu orders. Males ordered

higher

calorie and fat content meals at Mc’s and Denny’s compared with females,

but

at Panda Express, only the calories were significantly different, whereas the

fat

content was not significantly different. Musicians and tennis players did not

differ

significantly in the calorie and fat content of their menu orders. Younger

adolescents ordered significantly fewer calories and less fat at Mc’s and

Panda Express compared with older adolescents. There were no significant

differences

after correcting the calories and fat for body size (weight). There were no

significant differences at Denny’s. Adolescents who characterized themselves as

overweight (“too fat” or “slightly overweight”) ordered significantly fewer

calories

and less fat at Mc’s. But at Panda Express and Denny’s these differences

were

not statistically significant.

Table 5. Mean calories and fat (total and per kg) from the standard menu and

order

changes in stratified groups (means±SD) stratified by gender (males vs.

females),

group (musicians vs. tennis players) and age group (younger vs. older)

================

Calories Cals/kg Fat (g) Fat(g)/kg Changed order

================

Gender: 51 males, 55 females

Mc’s p < .001 p = .011 p < .001 p = .002 p = .036

Males 1069±380 20.6±9.0 47.2±15.8 0.91±0.38 5 (10%)

Females 807±275 16.8±6.3 33.8±12.9 0.70±0.30 14 (25%)

Panda Express p = .009 NS NS NS NS

Males 952±324 17.8±6.4 32.2±16.7 0.60±0.32 5 (10%)

Females 801±259 16.8±6.8 27.7±12.0 0.58±0.29 13 (24%)

Denny’s p = .010 NS p = .005 p = .056 NS

Males 1144±458 22.1±10.1 56.3±27.9 1.08±0.58 5 (10%)

Females 926±393 19.3±10.0 42.9±20.4 0.88±0.47 12 (22%)

Group: 36 musicians, 70 tennis players

Mc’s NS NS NS NS NS

Musicians 910±401 17.5±7.3 39.9±18.9 0.77±0.35 5 (14%)

Tennis 945±329 19.2±8.2 40.5±14.1 0.82±0.36 14 (20%)

Panda Express NS NS NS NS NS

Musicians 912±352 17.7±6.9 33.2±17.5 0.64±0.35 5 (14%)

Tennis 854±271 17.1±6.5 28.2±12.6 0.56±0.27 13 (19%)

Denny’s NS NS NS NS NS

Musicians 1123±521 22.0±10.6 55.0±30.2 1.07±0.59 3 (8%)

Tennis 984±383 20.0±9.9 46.4±21.7 0.93±0.49 14 (20%)

Age Group: 55 younger (11–14 years), 51 older (15–18 years)

Mc’s p = .096 NS p = .069 NS NS

Younger 878±329 19.7±9.2 37.6±14.0 0.85±0.41 11 (20%)

Older 992±373 17.4±6.1 43.2±17.2 0.75±0.28 8 (16%)

Panda Express p = .022 NS p = .022 NS NS

Younger 810±279 18.0±7.8 26.8±14.3 0.59±0.36 10 (18%)

Older 942±311 16.6±5.1 33.2±14.3 0.58±0.22 8 (16%)

Denny’s NS NS NS NS NS

Younger 991±403 22.1±10.9 46.4±22.5 1.03±0.56 9 (16%)

Older 1074±472 19.1±9.1 52.5±27.5 0.93±0.50 8 (16%)

Self characterization: 27 overweight, 79 others

Mc’s p = .031 p < .001 p = .064 p = .002 NS

Overweighta 807±270 14.3±4.7 35.4±14.4 0.62±0.25 6 (22%)

Others 976±370 20.1±8.2 41.9±16.0 0.87±0.37 13 (16%)

Panda Express NS p = .038 NS NS p = .043

Overweighta 838±356 15.0±6.6 29.7±17.5 0.54±0.34 8 (30%)

Others 886±281 18.1±6.5 29.9±13.6 0.61±0.29 10 (13%)

Denny’s NS p = .058 NS NS NS

Overweighta 995±395 17.5±6.5 49.6±23.8 0.87±0.39 3 (11%)

Others 1043±453 21.8±10.9 49.3±25.7 1.02±0.57 14 (18%)

====================

p Values reflect the significance of the differences between the subgroups.

a Overweight includes “too fat” and “slightly overweight”; others include “just

right,” “slightly underweight,” and “too skinny.”

.... Males ordered more calories than females at all restaurants. When corrected

for

weight (calories per kg of body weight) the magnitude of the gender differences

declined (because males are generally heavier than females). Greater gender

differences occurred at Mc’s and Denny’s compared with Panda Express, at

which

the gender differences were smaller, making subsequent gender differences

(calories

per kg, fat grams, fat per kg) at Panda Express less likely to achieve

statistical

significance. ...

Al Pater, PhD; email: old542000@...

__________________________________

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