Menu Information Can Influence Parental Choices

01/25/2010

Parents who keep a close eye out for the caloric content on restaurant menus may be doing themselves and their children a favor when it comes to promoting better health and holding down long-term health insurance costs.

A recent Fox News report highlights research conducted at the University of Washington which found that parents who were presented with calorie information on fast food-style menus were likely to order a meal consisting of about 570 calories, while those who did not receive such information ordered meals averaging about 670 calories. Both sets of menus also listed prices for the food.

At the same time, the article noted that parents themselves did not seem to limit their own caloric intake when ordering off of either menu. Fox went on to quote one of the researchers as saying that the consumption of an extra 100 calories could actually result in weight gain of up to 10 pounds per year.

Parents have long been warned of the dangers of childhood obesity, and the medical problems, including diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol that can come with it.

In many cases, such conditions often result in dramatically higher premium costs for private insurance policies because they are deemed to be pre-existing conditions, which provides one more incentive to follow a healthy diet and exercise regularly.

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