Eve Davies
You might have heard that, as of 6th April 2022, UK Parliament introduced new legislation that demands large restaurants, cafes, and takeaways in England with over 250 employees to display calorie information on their menus and labels.
The government has taken this action in an attempt to tackle the national obesity crisis. With the potential of having more adverse effects than good, I believe that this change needs more compassionate thought put into it.
The Good
Excessively eating out, or at home, thanks to the likes of Uber Eats and Just Eat, on calorific food from large restaurant chains no doubt contributes to the nation’s obesity crisis. Backed by science surrounding a calorie deficit, I can see where the government’s decision has come from. I acknowledge that the government’s aim is to provide the public with information for them to make more informed decisions when trying to shed weight. But it is a complicated matter, and I, along with many others, can’t help but question whether this was a wise move to make on behalf of our government.
The Bad
Even though the calorie counts will provide a rough guide, there is no guarantee that they will be accurate for every meal served. A stressed chef accidentally using more sauce or oil when preparing a dish could mean that there is a lot more calories in the meal compared to what is stated on the menu. With experience of working in fast-paced industrial kitchens, I am aware that it is simply impossible to precisely weigh out every ingredient in every single meal, and this could cause significant fluctuations in calories, making the menus unreliable and totally unnecessary.
Furthermore, an overall calorie count of a meal fails to recognise the nutritional value of it. People could be influenced to opt with lower calorie options even if they do not offer sufficient protein, fibre, and vitamins, all of which are much more important in our diet than having a few extra calories. A meal might be low in calories, but these calories could be ‘empty’ meaning they do not offer our bodies any nutritional goodness.
Who will it really affect?
I believe that it is the lack of education around nutrition in our society that is having a greater impact on the obesity crisis. Unless people are consciously trying to lose weight, they are unlikely to be aware of how many calories they should be eating daily, or how many calories makes a meal calorific or not. It would be more useful for governments to implement methods to educate the public on nutrition before throwing arbitrary calorie counts on menus.
“In moderation, it is not meals out that are the problem”
A large amount of people who are aware of calorie measurements are people who struggle with disordered eating patterns. These people already find eating out a stressful, daunting experience and being confronted with calories on menus will make these occasions even less enjoyable, especially if they realise that calories in meals are much higher than they would have previously estimated them to be.
In moderation, it is not meals out that are the problem. Food labels on goods purchased from supermarkets have been around for decades, yet have had little impact on obesity levels.
Studies have found that 40% of Brits eat out once a month, 18% eat out once a week, and only 8.5% eat out several times a week. This data shows that, with exceptions, most people eat out only on one-off occasions. Enjoying a meal out occasionally will not have a significant effect on one’s weight. Even if a person eats out once a week, that is only one meal out of twenty-one over the course of the week. Unless they eat an extortionate amount at this meal (bearing in mind you must eat in a surplus of 3500 calories to gain one pound of body weight), it will not have a great impact on their weight. Ultimately, it is a person’s overall diet, their daily meals and snacks, that causes obesity, not the occasional meal that they enjoy at a restaurant.
Alternative solutions
I have been thinking about alternative solutions the government could have implemented, rather than scaring consumers with calorie counts. Here are some ideas:
Restaurants could offer two menus giving people the choice of whether to see the calorie count in meals. However, I recognise that this could be problematic as those who have an unhealthy relationship with food would opt to see the calories even if it is going to hinder their choice of meal and enjoyment of eating out.
“Training schemes for chefs to gain more knowledge in nutrition would be useful”
If restaurants are going to display calorie counts, I think it is important for them to also provide an indication of nutritional value of the meal, such as labels showing the amount of macronutrients (protein,carbs and fats), so people can make even better decisions to suit their individual diets.
A better option would be for the government to encourage chefs to look at ways to improve the nutritional value of their food. Restaurants often unnecessarily overload meals with calories in oils, dressings, and creams, even when their meals can be just as tasty without excessive amounts of these ingredients. Training schemes for chefs to gain more knowledge in nutrition would be useful.
“This legislation is an inconsiderate solution to health problems”
Finally, the government could scarp the measures all together and leave eating out as the enjoyable occasion it should be. They should encourage the public to be more cautious about how often they are eating out, using it as a celebration for special occasions rather than a weekly, sometimes daily, occasion. The government needs to encourage the public to take control of their health and make better decisions in their daily diets.
Ultimately, I think that this legislation is an inconsiderate solution to health problems that have been created due to our nation being undereducated in nutrition for many years. Ironically, the uncompassionate measure has been proposed by a government who pledge to tackle mental health.
Featured image courtesy of Peter on Flickr. Image license can be found here. No changes were made made to this image.
evedaviess
Eve is 22 years old and lives in Swansea. She has recently graduated from Cardiff University with a BA in English Literature. Eve's main interest is in lifestyle writing, particularly health, food, and travel.