University Students Talk about the Introduction of Calories on UK Menus

From the 6th of April, UK restaurants, takeaways and cafes have been gradually introducing calories on to their menus, to fit with new government legislation tackling obesity. This comes from a 2019 Cancer Research report stating 63% of UK adults are considered overweight, which is the second biggest cause for cancer after smoking[1]. Public Health England said 80% were happy with the change[2], whilst Diabetes UK said 60% of people would rather choose to eat somewhere with calorie labelling than without[3]. However, on the other side is those with eating disorders. It is estimated that someone dies from eating disorder complications every 52 minutes[4], so adding calories on menus can have severe consequences.

"F", 18, is recovering from anorexia, which she has had since she was 13. “I used to hate eating out. It would stress me out to the point where I was out with my Mum once and I was literally in tears, and that was before I’d see calories on menus.”

"A", 18, has previously had bulimia and more recently anorexia. “I would either go out somewhere different, or go out less”.

"S", 19, and "E", 20, discussed the issue together. They believe it will affect them due to their habits with calorie counting. "E" stated: “I go through stages of calorie counting loads. For those who are recovering, seeing that is damaging”

"M", 19, had bulimia in the past. “When I was the worst of my eating struggles, I would always check the calories before I bought shopping, which made it a lot longer”

People with eating disorders agree that having calories on menus will dramatically change their habits. "A", who would go out 8 times a month said she now “will look online at the menu and change my mind ahead of time”.

“I don’t look at the food, I look at the number on the side” states "F" “When you go to eat out, you are going out for enjoyment”

"S" had a blunt but simple approach “It’s a bit pointless. If I want a pizza, I want a pizza.”

However, there is some level of control over how calorie labelling is displayed. "S", mentioned from her experiences that “Some restaurants have done it reasonably well, putting the number of calories in a lighter shade of grey, so it’s not obvious on a first glance. Others have “Cookie – x amount of calories” in massive writing”

Many alternatives have been suggested that could be used instead. This varies from putting QR codes on menus, to colour coordinating the levels of calories. Although, the most popular idea is having two menus, one with and one without calorie labelling. Many places already offer an alternate no-calorie menu, on specific request. Although, this has the downside of knowing which one to choose, as those with eating disorders may feel pressured to see the calorie count. "A" said for her it would “depend on the day. People won’t want to admit it, they will choose the one they feel safe with”. "M" said they would have “self-restraint, especially around friends” between choosing menus mentioning “If they have to have the calories somewhere, it would be the least they can do”.

Alternatively, there could be greater education towards calorie counting, which should be government funded and compulsory in schools. This is due to the many misconceptions around calories. "E" mentioned: “People see calories as just a number, and that number will make them gain weight. Calories doesn’t add up to how healthy the food is”. "S" added an older strategy: “Perhaps having healthier food listed under a section for ‘Healthier Alternatives’ or ‘Why not substitute your chips for a side salad?’ giving people that mental option is better”. This is more rewarding as people feel more in control of their decisions, rather than being dictated by numbers.

The consensus, between those with eating disorders, is clear. This decision by the UK government was one not planned effectively. Despite its aim to tackle the significant issues of diabetes and cancer slightly, it may be massively detrimental to those with eating disorders. The true severity was summarised by "A": “The government didn’t think about people with eating disorders when they put it into place, which is strange as anorexia is the biggest killer mental health wise”.

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[1] Cancer Research UK ‘Overweight and Obesity Statistics’ at https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/risk/overweight-and-obesity#:~:text=63%25%20of%20UK%20adults%20(aged,overweight%20or%20obese%20UK%20adults. (accessed 6th May 2022)

[2] Savin, Jennifer and Sutton, Megan for Cosmopolitan (2022) ‘Calories will soon be listed on menus – but is that a good thing?’ at https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/body/diet-nutrition/a39611285/calories-on-menus/ (accessed 6th May 2022)

[3] Diabetes UK (2013) ‘Calorie labelling to be made compulsory in restaurants, cafes and takeaways’ at https://www.diabetes.org.uk/about_us/news/calorie-labelling-compulsory (accessed 6th May 2022)

[4] Harvard T.H. Chan (2022) ‘Social and economic cost of eating disorders in the United States of America’ at https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/striped/report-economic-costs-of-eating-disorders/ (accessed 6th May 2022)