Survey results published on Tuesday disclosed that the calorie count information provided by the restaurants in accordance with the government's specifications are more commonly taken advantage of by fast food joint patrons, women and customers earning higher income than the average employee, Reuters reported.

A study conducted by a group of researchers from Public Health-Seattle & King County and Action for Healthy Food, both from Washington, revealed that awareness with respect to the calorie information of food items in a menu showed "significant increases" in terms of the cognizance of health-related factors.

In addition, such consciousness brought about by the information raised the level of adherence to the "population-wide value" of the guideline. However, the results still differed depending on gender, race and income.

The researchers evaluated "2008 to 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data from 3132 English-speaking King County residents aged 18 years and older who reported eating at a regulated chain."

In addition, the group utilized "regression models" to gauge the effects of calorie information awareness and "use from prepolicy to postpolicy implementation by customer demographics, health status, and restaurant type."

Recently, the United States Food and Drug Administration has concluded two rules to govern the calorie information to be displayed on restaurant and bar menus as well as retail food enterprises and vending machines. These two recently finalized rules are:

  • Menu labeling final rule: Applies to restaurants and similar retail food establishments if they are part of a chain of 20 or more locations, doing business under the same name, offering for sale substantially the same menu items and offering for sale restaurant-type foods.
  • Vending machine final rule: Requires operators who own or operate 20 or more vending machines to disclose calorie information for food sold from vending machines, subject to certain exemptions.

The researchers concluded that "white, higher income, and obese" participants exhibited greater consciousness on the calorie information displayed on the menu.

The study titled "Changes in Awareness and Use of Calorie Information After Mandatory Menu Labeling in Restaurants in King County, Washington" was published in the American Journal of Public Health.