Effect of Nutrition Labeling on Fast Food Choices

描述（由申请人提供）：在过去20年里，美国超重和肥胖人数急剧上升的一个重要因素可能是外出就餐和零食数量的增加。由于认识到外出就餐对能量摄入和体重的重要性，人们提出了一些策略，以促进外出就餐时选择更健康的食物，其中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保方法的潜在有效性，以鼓励人们在外出就餐时减少能量和脂肪的摄入。具体来说，本研究的目的是：1。确定快餐店菜单上提供的营养信息（能量和脂肪）是否会导致人们选择和食用低热量和低脂肪的食物；2)。比较从快餐店菜单上选择的食物的卡路里和脂肪含量，菜单上有价值大小定价和菜单上没有价值大小定价；3)。确定快餐店菜单项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修正；4)。检查不同年龄（青少年和成年人）在购买点营养信息和价值大小定价对食品选择和消费的影响可能存在的差异；和5)。描述一个快餐店常客的食物和营养相关的态度、信念和行为。为了实现这些目标，我们建议进行一个随机控制的2x2析因实验，其中受试者将从四种菜单中选择一种快餐，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。研究对象包括经常在快餐店吃饭的青少年和成年人。研究人员将记录每位参与者选择、接收和消耗的食物，从而提供比较实验条件下选择和消耗的食物的能量和脂肪组成所需的信息。本研究建立在先前关于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卫生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.