Food for thought: menu labeling as obesity prevention public health policy

This article discusses the evidence for menu labeling as obesity prevention public health policy. While sympathetic to providing nutritional information, whether food is consumed at restaurants or purchased for home consumption, the authors raise a word of caution against the assumption that menu la...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Critical public health 2011-09, Vol.21 (3), p.353-358
Main Authors: Chaufan, Claudia, Fox, Patrick, Hong, Gee Hee
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Choices
Consumption
Food
Food consumption
Food products
Health behavior
Health care policy
Health disparities
Health Education
health inequalities
Health inequality
Health Policy
Health promotion
Healthy food
healthy public policy
Labeling
Labels
Medical sociology
Nutrition
Obesity
Prevention
Prevention programs
Public Health
Restaurants
sociology of health
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Summary:This article discusses the evidence for menu labeling as obesity prevention public health policy. While sympathetic to providing nutritional information, whether food is consumed at restaurants or purchased for home consumption, the authors raise a word of caution against the assumption that menu labeling will significantly lead to healthier food choices, lower obesity rates, and decreased obesity disparities. The authors find little empirical evidence that this will be the case, critique the theoretical model that informs menu labeling as obesity prevention public health policy, and instead encourage policies that draw on a fundamental social causes approach to obesity prevention and health promotion generally.
ISSN:0958-1596
1469-3682
DOI:10.1080/09581596.2010.492390