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Calories, portion size and caloric density ‐ implications for restaurant calorie labeling
Author(s) -
Scourboutakos Mary J.,
L'Abbe Mary R.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.26.1_supplement.629.4
Subject(s) - calorie , caloric theory , caloric intake , food science , demography , psychology , environmental health , gerontology , medicine , body weight , biology , endocrinology , sociology
The increasing trend towards eating‐out along with concerns about the adverse nutritional profile of restaurant foods has prompted the introduction of calorie labeling. However, the role of caloric density and portion size as determinants of calories in restaurants has not been analyzed. The objective of this study was to evaluate how the type of food, the type of establishment, serving size, and caloric density influence calories; and the implications of this for calorie labeling. Data was collected from the major (n=85) sit‐down and quick‐service restaurants across Canada in 2010. 4167 side dishes, main entrées and individual items were analyzed. There was substantial variation in calories both within and across food categories. In most categories, sit‐down restaurants had significantly higher calories compared to quick‐service restaurants (p<0.05). While portion size explained 37% of the variation in calories, caloric density explained only 5%. Nevertheless, both were statistically significant predictors of calories (p<0.05). Higher calorie items had a significantly larger portion size compared to lower calorie items, but were not always significantly different in terms of caloric density. Thus, calorie labeling may undermine weight‐loss efforts by leading customers to choose lower calorie food items that are smaller in portion size, but not necessarily lower in caloric density. Funding: CIHR STIHRComparing the Average Serving Size and Caloric Density of Restaurant Items Differing in CaloriesGrant Funding Source : University of Toronto McHenry Chair