When I walked into Au Bon Pain over winter break, to buy a carrot walnut muffin, I was shocked to learn that it contained a whopping 560 calories! I bought it anyway. I didn't have a choice. I had to because it's my favorite and it's delicious. It seems that like me, many Americans are unfazed with the new mandatory calorie labeling in chain restaurants. While consumers are aware that they are overweight, they have not changed their dietary behavior. The article, "After Menu Labels, Parents and Kids Order the Same Food," discusses an NYU study that came to that very conclusion. It is important to take note of the demographic in the study- NYU researchers focused on the dining habits among low-income families. However, Eric Finkelstein, an economist from Duke University, found that overall more information did not influence ordering behavior. But again we also must remember that people who are super healthy in their day to day lives probably would not be going to into a McDonalds and buying a Big Mac. Information is not enough and perhaps taxes on unhealthy foods are where we need to look.
4 comments:
Or maybe we should make it easier for low income families to pay for and gain access to healthier foods...
I think we should do both because obesity is an epidemic nation wide. If we were to just increase taxes on "fatty" foods (that are often sold at a lower cost when compared to healthy foods) that would leave lower income families without many options. So I do agree with you Ian that we should provide them with better alternatives!
While I do believe that people should have the freedom to choose what they want to eat (and honestly I do not know how I feel about taxes on "fatty" foods), the taxes would do two things. They would raise revenue and lower the cost of health care, because presumably people would eat healthier and need less services and care.
Have a cheese steak with a cinnabon for dessert!
http://guyism.com/lifestyle/8-fast-food-items-that-will-ensure-you-die-of-a-heart-attack.html
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