Department of Psychology, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Rd, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 5E1, Canada.
Can J Public Health. 2019 Dec;110(6):816-820. doi: 10.17269/s41997-019-00183-7. Epub 2019 Jan 30.
As of January 1, 2017, the Healthy Menu Choices Act mandates that food service premises with 20 or more locations in Ontario must display the number of calories in every food item sold on menus. The impetus for this legislation was to enable Ontarians to become aware of the calorie content of foods and beverages consumed outside the home, and make healthier dietary choices while dining out. Though arising as an initiative to attenuate the development of obesity and current obesity rates, evidence suggests menu labelling does not significantly alter individuals' food choices. Moreover, focusing primarily on caloric content may be an ineffective, and perhaps detrimental, strategy to effect change in the obesity epidemic. Beyond the initiative's questionable utility, there has been a lack of consideration as of yet to the unintended negative implications this initiative may have on eating disorder (ED) symptomatology in the general population and those attempting to recover from an ED. The objective of the current commentary is thus to argue that in light of evidence of minimal benefit and the potential for harm, nutrition labelling on menus may be a misguided public health initiative.
截至 2017 年 1 月 1 日，《健康菜单选择法案》要求安大略省拥有 20 个或以上营业点的餐饮场所必须在菜单上展示销售的每一种食品的卡路里数量。这项立法的推动力是让安大略省人意识到在家外食用的食物和饮料的卡路里含量，并在外出就餐时做出更健康的饮食选择。尽管这一举措是为了减轻肥胖的发展和当前的肥胖率，但有证据表明，菜单标签并没有显著改变个人的食物选择。此外，主要关注卡路里含量可能是一种无效的、甚至可能有害的策略，无法有效地改变肥胖症流行这一现象。除了该举措的实用性值得怀疑之外，到目前为止，还没有考虑到该举措可能对普通人群和试图从饮食失调中恢复的人群的饮食失调（ED）症状产生的意外负面影响。因此，本评论的目的是论证，鉴于证据表明益处有限且可能造成伤害，菜单上的营养标签可能是一项误导性的公共卫生举措。
