McDonald’s To Start Posting Calorie Counts: But Will It Change Anything?

McDonald’s announced Thursday that it will begin posting calories on its menu boards and at the drive-thru starting next week. The company already posts this information in locations like New York City, Philadelphia, and the state of California, but McDonald’s has decided to take the initiative nationwide.

McDonald’s USA President Jan Fields says after talking with customers, it’s clear they want more information. “They asked us to make it easier to find nutrition information at the restaurants,” she says. The nutrition information about its products has been available for decades, if you knew to ask.

Health experts hope that seeing this information will cause us to make better food choices. However, it studies so far show no change in diet. Fields says that in the locations where calorie counts are already in place, the numbers have not affected consumers’ choices: “When it’s all said and done, the menu mix doesn’t change,” she said. “But I do think people feel better knowing this information.”

We’re actually pretty bad about counting calories. A recent International Food information Council Foundation survey found that only 15 percent of Americans know how many calories they should be eating each day.

So even if only some people use them, posting calories could have an effect on weight over time, Margo Wootan, director of nutrition at the Center for Science in the Public Interest tells the AP. Wootan tells The Salt that “calorie labeling is encouraging companies to reformulate products.”

So Rockheads, will this change how you eat? Tell me in the comments!