Contributors’ Responses to Calorie Counts Being Introduced on Menus

TW: This article discusses sensitive issues such as eating disorders.

In an attempt to counteract and minimise obesity in the UK, the government want to introduce calorie counts on restaurant menus. They will also be banning all ‘buy one get one free’ offers on unhealthy foods, but it’s the calorie counting that’s caused concerns. Here’s what our contributors have to say.

For some, this will have a positive impact on their lives:

“My brother has a condition called Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), which is a condition where he misses the part in his brain that tells him he’s full up. He could keep eating, which means that in order to manage the condition, he’s on a calorie-controlled diet. Having calories displayed will make it easier when choosing food but will also show him what foods are too high in calories and acts as a better visual aid.” – Neve Gordon-Farleigh

However, for the vast majority, they want the government to reconsider the strategy:

“As a user of MyFitnessPal over the years and constantly trying to lose weight, half of me feels happy that calories are going to be put on menus so that I’ll have less anxiety when eating out and ‘trying to be good’. However, this is a side of me that is more fuelled by societal expectations than my morals which are that everyone should love themselves for who they are. I feel having calories on menus for meals will actually bring more issues than solutions, especially when going out to restaurants (for me anyways) is associated with relaxing and spending time with friends and family – not thinking about appearance and weight which is a sensitive subject for many. I know my thoughts may sound contradictory, but overall I think it’s a bad idea and will bring more harm than good and instead the government should perhaps be asking restaurants to promote healthier options to reduce obesity or a calorie counted area of the menu, so people have the option, instead of including it for every meal.” Isabelle Raikes

“As someone who hasn’t ever worried too much about calories before, I’m anxious that having them displayed in front of me on a menu will affect my choices too much, removing the enjoyment of eating out and making the whole situation uncomfortable and being a bit self-conscious. I think it’s too risky in terms of increasing eating disorders and fat-shaming, and there are real economic issues (prices of healthier food vs ready-meals/fast food as well as the time-related costs of cooking from scratch) that ought to be combatted before targeting individuals.” – Meghna Amin

“Adding calorie counts to menus will do nothing to promote healthy eating and everything to promote eating disorders, especially amongst vulnerable young people most at risk of developing them. By adding calorie counts to menus, children will be exposed at far too young an age to the concept that watching calories is the way to manage their diet – but healthy eating looks different for everyone! There’s no ‘one size fits all’ approach, and calorie counts on menus is no exception. Additionally, the policy shifts the responsibility of healthy eating entirely onto individuals, absolving the government of all liability. This means that those for whom eating healthily is largely inaccessible (due to the monetary and time cost of cooking balanced meals) may end up being seen as a ‘burden’, even though they have effectively been left behind by government policy.” – Kit Sinclair

“Whilst I haven’t experienced many issues with eating personally I’ve always struggled somewhat with my own body image and seen people around me struggle with eating problems. We already live in such a self conscious, body image driven society that to add calories to menus seems to do far more harm than good in terms of young people’s self esteem. Whilst it is of course hugely important that we tackle the obesity crisis in this country, we also have a mental health crisis and this should be a priority in terms of government policy, supporting young women especially to feel confident in their own skin. There’s other methods of staying healthy than just listing calories on a menu.” – Lauren McGaun

“Despite being someone who’s always had a positive relationship with food, I can see this impacting my choices when eating out – so I can only imagine what it’d be like for those who have a negative relationship with food and let calorie intake influence their eating habits. This will be extremely triggering and counterproductive to the progress that those recovering from eating disorders have made. I think the government need to consider alternative strategies first, such as making healthy eating more accessible by making the products more affordable and getting restaurants to promote their healthier dishes.”– Katie Wheatley

“Back in 2016, I was diagnosed with anorexia. I would count myself as almost recovered now, mainly thanks to a lot of support from friends and family. Probably my biggest struggle along the way has been calorie counting – I don’t think I’ve had a day free of counting in over 5 years. To be honest, I don’t think I’ll feel ‘triggered’ by the government legislating calorie counts on menus, because I can already estimate fairly accurately the content of any meal I’d eat in a restaurant, so it wouldn’t affect my eating. What has most profoundly upset me, however, is that the proposed legislation normalises the idea of calorie counting as a way to ‘be healthy’, when using numbers and controlling one’s intake is anything but.  To my mind, the path to a healthy weight and a good relationship with your body lies in understanding your appetite and listening to your hunger signals. My heart aches for future generations of people from many walks of life (because disordered eating can affect anyone) who internalise the idea that counting is the way to be healthy, and end up trapped in numbers in the same way I have been and still am.” – Anonymous

“As someone in recovery from an eating disorder this terrifies me. I have personally been able to unlearn my eating disorder patterns and obsession with calories, but with these new plans to put calories on everything I am scared that this will change and trigger me to relapse when I am going out for food or drinks. There are definitely other ways to help folks to make balanced choices- calorie counting and forcing us all to assess what we are eating and possibly obsess over it is not the solution.  I am scared for my friends also in recovery, I am scared for other folks that are currently recovering or still struggling heavily with their eating disorder/s and I am scared for those it might lead down a path of an unhealthy relationship with food and their body. One of the best things I have got from recovery is being able to go out and choose freely what I would love to eat rather than research the calorie counts beforehand- there is a freedom in that after years of obsession and restriction.” – Elle Woods-Marshall

“Like Elle, I am recovering from an ED. It has taken me years to knock myself out of major negative behaviours, but there are times when I still relapse. While I do think this initiate has been launched with some positive intentions, there is a lack of education around nutrition and positive weight loss behaviours, and calorie counting widens that gap. It encourages people to think of their intake in terms of numbers, rather than a balance of what you should have on your plate. It also reinforces a negative mindset where certain foods are ‘unsafe’, simply because their calorie count is higher.  I often avoided foods which were high in fat, not realising that they were actually the thing I needed to stay healthy. Eating apples is obviously good for anyone, but eating nothing but that, for the sake of shaving calories, is a health disaster waiting to happen. Since recovering, I have learnt to forgive myself after the days of punishing myself for a slice of enjoyment, but I know many are still trapped in the cycle, and it’s a tough one to break once you slip into it. All in all, this solution strikes me as a bit of a slapdash offering for a complex problem.” – April Ryan

The response to this announcement has been overwhelming. The government should consider all perspectives before making a decision about implementing the strategy, and consider if it is the most effective way to minimise obesity.

If you want to seek help and advice, below is a list of resources:

• Helplines you can call by Beat Eating Disorders.
• Information on Help & Treatment For an Eating Disorder by Beat Eating Disorders.
• Find eating disorder support services by the NHS.
• Information on eating disorders compiled by the NHS.

Katie Wheatley

Tweet to @_KatieWheatley

Featured image courtesy of @willhime via Unsplash.