Fast food menu boards that give calorie counts for food and beverages options are meant to help people make healthier choices, but not evryone uses them. According to a new report form the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 57 percent of people surveyed said they check calorie counts on menu boards.
Researchers surveyed 10,548 people in 17 states and asked them this question: “When calorie information is available in the restaurant, how often does this information help you decide what to order?” The response options were “always,” “most of the time,” “about half the time,” “sometimes,” and “never.”
About 11.9 percent said “always,” 13.7 percent said “most of the time,” 8.8 percent said “about half the time. 22.8 percent said “sometimes” and 42.7 percent said “never.”
Of the states surveyed, New York had the highest reported use with 61.3 percent, Montana had the lowest with 48.7 percent. In all states, women were more likely to use the information than men. Adults aged 35–54 and those in non-Hispanic racial/ethnic groups had the highest proportion of users.
