(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- When it comes to menu choices, informed parents
make for healthier kids. A new study suggests providing nutritional
information on children's menu items leads to smarter meal selections for 3-
to 6-year-olds.
A new study in the journal Pediatrics shows the amount of calories parents
selected for their child's meal dropped by an average of 102 calories when
calorie information was provided on the menu. Ninety-nine parents of 3- to
6-year-olds were surveyed about their fast food dining habits and presented
with a sample McDonald's menu. Half of the parents had menus that included
calorie information for each food item. Parents who were given the calorie
information chose an average of 20 percent fewer calories for their kids.
Interestingly, parents chose no differently for themselves when presented
with calorie information, and researchers found no correlation between the
parents' typical frequency of fast food dining and the number of calories
selected.
More than 30 localities or states are currently considering policies that
would require calories and other nutrition information to be clearly visible
on menus, four of which have already implemented policies.
Source: Pediatrics, published online January 25, 2010
