Clinical Trial of Menu Labeling

University of Waterloo

Status: Completed

Conditions: Calorie Consumption

Treatments: Other: Nutrition information on menus

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01948752

Uwaterloo

Details and patient eligibility

About

The current study sought to examine the effect of menu labeling on food ordering and food consumption, including the effect of displaying calories along with other nutrients, such as sodium, fat, and sugar, as well as in different formats, such as traffic lights.

The investigators hypothesize significant differences in the calorie amount of menu selections and food consumption across experimental conditions. The investigators anticipate that calorie amounts will be significantly higher in the no calorie information) compared to each of the other 3 conditions, and significantly lower in the Traffic Light conditions compared to calories only condition.

2. Individuals in Condition 1 (no calorie information) will be significantly more likely to underestimate the calorie content of their meals compared to individuals in the intervention conditions.

Enrollment: 661 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• 18 years of age or older,
• able to speak and read English

Exclusion criteria

• no food allergies to gluten or other grain products

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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661 participants in 4 patient groups

Menu - no nutrition information (control)

No Intervention group

Description:

Participants were randomized to receive one of four menus that each contained different type of nutrition information. This condition included a "normal" menu with no nutrition information.

Calorie labels

Experimental group

Description:

Participants were randomized to receive one of four menus that each contained different type of nutrition information. This condition included menus with the calorie amounts displayed.

Treatment:

Other: Nutrition information on menus

Calorie Traffic Light

Experimental group

Description:

Participants were randomized to receive one of four menus that each contained different type of nutrition information. This condition included menus with calorie amounts in green/amber/red "traffic lights" to signify low/medium/high amounts.

Treatment:

Other: Nutrition information on menus

Multi-Traffic Light

Experimental group

Description:

Participants were randomized to receive one of four menus that each contained different type of nutrition information. This condition included menus with calorie amounts as well as sodium, fat, and sugar amounts in green/amber/red "traffic lights" to signify low/medium/high amounts.

Treatment:

Other: Nutrition information on menus