Sara N Bleich1, Alyssa J Moran2, Marian P Jarlenski3, Julia A Wolfson4. 1. Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts. Electronic address: sbleich@hsph.harvard.edu. 2. Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts. 3. Department of Health Policy and Management, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 4. Department of Health Management and Policy, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Large chain restaurants have reduced calories in their new menu items. No research has examined the calorie content of items eliminated from these menus. METHODS: Data are from the MenuStat project (2012-2015), which includes 66 of the 100 largest U.S. chain restaurants (n=27,238 items), to compare: (1) mean calories for items on the menu in all years compared with those dropped after 2012 and (2) mean calories for items new in 2013 or 2014 that stayed on the menu compared with items new in 2013 or 2014 that were dropped. The data were analyzed in 2016. RESULTS: Menu items that were dropped from the menu relative to those on the menu in all years had 71 more calories (p=0.02). New items that were dropped relative to new items that stayed on the menu had 52 more calories (p=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Items dropped from chain restaurant menus are significantly higher in calories than items that remain on the menu. Eliminating higher-calorie items from restaurant menus may have a significant and positive impact on population health by reducing calorie intake without relying on individual behavior, which is very resistant to change.
INTRODUCTION: Large chain restaurants have reduced calories in their new menu items. No research has examined the calorie content of items eliminated from these menus. METHODS: Data are from the MenuStat project (2012-2015), which includes 66 of the 100 largest U.S. chain restaurants (n=27,238 items), to compare: (1) mean calories for items on the menu in all years compared with those dropped after 2012 and (2) mean calories for items new in 2013 or 2014 that stayed on the menu compared with items new in 2013 or 2014 that were dropped. The data were analyzed in 2016. RESULTS: Menu items that were dropped from the menu relative to those on the menu in all years had 71 more calories (p=0.02). New items that were dropped relative to new items that stayed on the menu had 52 more calories (p=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Items dropped from chain restaurant menus are significantly higher in calories than items that remain on the menu. Eliminating higher-calorie items from restaurant menus may have a significant and positive impact on population health by reducing calorie intake without relying on individual behavior, which is very resistant to change.
Authors: Junxiu Liu; Dariush Mozaffarian; Tom Gaziano; Renata Micha; Stephen Sy; Yujin Lee; Parke E Wilde; Shafika Abrahams-Gessel Journal: Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes Date: 2020-06-04
Authors: Sara N Bleich; Jesse C Jones-Smith; Marian P Jarlenski; Julia A Wolfson; Johannah M Frelier; Huiru Tao; Yuchen Hu; Anna Zink; Caroline G Dunn; Mark J Soto; Bradley J Herring Journal: J Gen Intern Med Date: 2020-02-14 Impact factor: 5.128
Authors: Anna H Grummon; Joshua Petimar; Fang Zhang; Anjali Rao; Steven L Gortmaker; Eric B Rimm; Sara N Bleich; Alyssa J Moran; Rebecca L Franckle; Michele Polacsek; Denise Simon; Julie C Greene; Sue Till; Jason P Block Journal: Am J Prev Med Date: 2021-06-05 Impact factor: 6.604
Authors: Anna H Grummon; Joshua Petimar; Mark J Soto; Sara N Bleich; Denise Simon; Lauren P Cleveland; Anjali Rao; Jason P Block Journal: JAMA Netw Open Date: 2021-12-01
Authors: Sara N Bleich; Mark J Soto; Jesse C Jones-Smith; Julia A Wolfson; Marian P Jarlenski; Caroline G Dunn; Johannah M Frelier; Bradley J Herring Journal: JAMA Netw Open Date: 2020-10-01