Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest ones.

More evidence that informing people about calorie contents has a positive effect on food choices has been presented by a new research project done by the University of Washington in America. The interesting project worked by getting a group of 100 parents with their children and presenting them with false fast food menus some of which had the number of calories by each item and some of which did not.

The results clearly proved that when parents were given the information about how many calories were in individual items they would order healthier and lower calorie items for their children resulting in an overall twenty percent reduction in calorie content.

This study is particularly relevant because pressure is being put on all fast food establishments around America and even in the United Kingdom to make sure that every single menu is properly labeled with a calorie count. It clearly shows that calorie counts have a big effect on food choices and with childhood obesity being the number one teenage health problem in the US and UK this simple measure could provide significant health benefits.

Professor Pooja Tandon from the University of Washington explained how “an informed parent” would make “smarter, healthier choices” for their children. Not all American States require calorie counts to be placed on menus and some fast food restaurants don’t even publish calorie counts on their websites.

At Ukmedix News we genuinely believe that legislation requiring calorie counts to be placed extremely clearly on every single food item in restaurants and in supermarkets could have a huge effect on the eating habits of the British public. Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest ones.

The idea that food manufacturers and fast food restaurants are opposing this idea shows that they have no concern for the health of their clients and that they are purely motivated by profits. Legislators in both American and the United Kingdom should immediately step up efforts to make calorie counts clearly visible immediately in all restaurants!

Come on MP’s what are you waiting for?