Consumers' estimation of calorie content at fast food restaurants: cross sectional observational study

Abstract

Objective: To investigate estimation of calorie (energy) content of meals from fast food restaurants in adults, adolescents, and school age children.

Design: Cross sectional study of repeated visits to fast food restaurant chains.

Setting: 89 fast food restaurants in four cities in New England, United States: McDonald's, Burger King, Subway, Wendy's, KFC, Dunkin' Donuts.

Participants: 1877 adults and 330 school age children visiting restaurants at dinnertime (evening meal) in 2010 and 2011; 1178 adolescents visiting restaurants after school or at lunchtime in 2010 and 2011.

Main outcome measure: Estimated calorie content of purchased meals.

Results: Among adults, adolescents, and school age children, the mean actual calorie content of meals was 836 calories (SD 465), 756 calories (SD 455), and 733 calories (SD 359), respectively. A calorie is equivalent to 4.18 kJ. Compared with the actual figures, participants underestimated calorie content by means of 175 calories (95% confidence interval 145 to 205), 259 calories (227 to 291), and 175 calories (108 to 242), respectively. In multivariable linear regression models, underestimation of calorie content increased substantially as the actual meal calorie content increased. Adults and adolescents eating at Subway estimated 20% and 25% lower calorie content than McDonald's diners (relative change 0.80, 95% confidence interval 0.66 to 0.96; 0.75, 0.57 to 0.99).

Conclusions: People eating at fast food restaurants underestimate the calorie content of meals, especially large meals. Education of consumers through calorie menu labeling and other outreach efforts might reduce the large degree of underestimation.

Fig 1 Mean difference between estimated and actual calorie content of purchased meals, by restaurant chain, at fast-food restaurants in four cities in New England, 2010 and 2011

Fig 2 Estimated calorie content versus actual calorie content of meals among adults, adolescents, and school age children in fast food restaurants in four cities in New England, 2010 and 2011. Figure shows predicted estimated calorie content, calculated from fully adjusted models for participants with covariates at reference values or means, at fixed values for actual meal calorie content. Underestimation of calorie content of meals was greater with larger meals for each of samples