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Calorie Labeling of Foods Leads to Small Reduction in Energy Selected

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Jan 24, 2025.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Jan. 23, 2025 -- Calorie labeling of food leads to a small reduction in energy selected and consumed, according to a systematic review published online Jan. 17 in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

Emily Pechey, from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, and colleagues estimated the effect of calorie labeling for food and alcoholic drinks on selection and consumption and examined possible modifiers. Twenty-five studies, including 18 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), one quasi-RCT, two interrupted time-series studies, and four controlled before-after studies, were included.

The researchers found a small reduction in energy selected with calorie labeling of food; near-identical effects were seen when including only studies at low risk for bias and when including only studies of selection with purchasing. A larger reduction may be seen for consumption. Based on the effect sizes, for an average meal of 600 kcal, adults exposed to calorie labeling would select 11 kcal less and consume 35 kcal less (equivalent to reductions of 1.8 and 5.9 percent, respectively). In the six nonrandomized studies, the direction of effect was broadly consistent with that seen in the 16 randomized studies. Only two studies focused on alcoholic drinks; the results were inconclusive.

These findings "tentatively suggest the potential for calorie labeling to reduce selection of food among a variety of settings and a broad range of people. There were insufficient data to enable similar assessments of potential modifiers for the consumption of food," the authors write.

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Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted January 2025

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