Effect of Nutrition Labeling on Fast Food Choices

描述(申请人提供)：过去20年，美国超重和肥胖率急剧上升的一个重要因素可能是外出就餐和吃零食的数量增加。由于认识到外出就餐对能量摄入量和体重的重要性，已经提出了一些战略，以促进在外出就餐时选择更健康的食物，包括一些可能对公众健康产生广泛影响的环境变化。这项拟议研究的总体目标是检验两种有前景的环境方法的潜在有效性，这些方法可以鼓励外出就餐时减少能量和脂肪的摄入。具体地说，这项研究的目的是1。确定在快餐店菜单上提供营养信息(能量和脂肪)是否会导致选择和消费低卡路里和低脂肪的食物；比较从快餐店菜单中选择的食物的卡路里和脂肪含量，该菜单包括超值定价和不包括超值定价的菜单；确定快餐店菜单项目的购买点营养信息对食物选择和消费的影响是否被价值大小定价所改变；研究购买点营养信息和价值大小定价对按年龄(青少年与成年人)的食物选择和消费的影响可能存在的差异；描述一组普通快餐店消费者与食物和营养相关的态度、信念和做法。为了达到这些目的，我们建议进行一项随机控制的2x2析因实验，受试者将从四个菜单中的一个菜单中选择快餐店的一餐，这些菜单将根据是否提供营养信息(是/否)和是否使用价值大小定价(是/否)而有所不同。研究参与者将包括经常在快餐店吃饭的青少年和成年人。研究人员将记录每个参与者选择、接受和消费的食物，从而提供必要的信息，以比较实验条件下选择和消费的食物的能量和脂肪组成。这项研究建立在以前对购买点营养信息和价格激励的干预研究的基础上，以提供可能具有广泛公共健康影响的新的独特信息。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): One factor that is likely an important contributor to the dramatic rise in overweight and obesity in the U.S. over the past 20 years is the increase in the number of meals and snacks eaten away from home. In recognition of the importance of foods eaten away from home on energy intake and body weight, a number of strategies to promote more healthful food choices while eating out have been proposed, including a number of environmental changes that may have broad public health implications. The overall goal of the proposed study is to examine the potential effectiveness of two promising environmental approaches to encourage lower energy and fat intake while eating away from home. Specifically, the aims of this study are to 1.) Determine whether the provision of nutrition information (energy and fat) on a fast food restaurant menu results in the selection and consumption of lower calorie and lower fat meals; 2.) Compare the calorie and fat content of meals selected from a fast food restaurant menu that includes value size pricing and a menu that does not include value size pricing; 3.) Determine whether the effect of point of purchase nutrition information for fast food restaurant menu items on food selection and consumption is modified by value size pricing; 4.) Examine possible differences in the effect of point of purchase nutrition information and value size pricing on food selection and consumption by age (adolescents versus adults); and 5.) Characterize the food and nutrition-related attitudes, beliefs, and practices of a sample of regular fast food restaurant consumers. To address these aims we propose to conduct a randomized controlled 2x2 factorial experiment in which subjects will select a fast food restaurant meal from one of four menus that will vary with respect to whether nutrition information is provided (yes/no) and whether value size pricing is used (yes/no). Study participants will include adolescents and adults who eat regularly at fast food restaurants. Study staff will record the foods selected, received, and consumed by each participant, thus providing information needed to compare the energy and fat composition of the meals selected and consumed by experimental condition. This study builds on previous intervention research on point of purchase nutrition information and price incentives to provide new unique information that may have broad public health implications.