Calories on the menu - just why?

[Figmentofmyimagination]

Visited pizza express last night to catch up with a girlfriend - first visit since pre pandemic. Ordered my favourite fiorentina pizza with spinach and egg but my enjoyment was somewhat diminished by reading the 950 calorie count on the menu. I understand that this is the law now. Who decided that this is a good idea? Absolutely crazy.

Trauma diagnosis here and honestly I find it really triggering; it's just added another layer of anxiety to eating out on social occasions.

It's shit. And pointless, as counting calories is only one measure of healthiness - other people will count carbs, or plant-based points or, one of the several other methods that is used to measure "healthy eating".

@DogsAndGin

Anorexia affects up to 12% of women, and 1% of men. So of course the huge issue of how printing calories on a menu affects anorexic people was completely overlooked. Gotta help those over eaters! (Which are mainly… you guessed it… men!)

However, Anorexia hasn't just underpinned our nation's problem with the pandemic. Our weight problem has driven our covid death numbers that includes both obese and overweight categories. It's endemic and killing the nation.

Will also say, in the pub we were at there was no calories on the drink menu (whether this is coming or not, I do not know) but entirely pointless to put them on food and not drink.

I think the solution might be to have the calorie count on the website. I would be happy with that compromise.

Personally I'm all for it...if it educates and informs people on how many calories they are actually consuming. The issue with overconsumption of calories is very visible on our population. Obesity is as much of an eating disorder as anorexia.

It's a shame it's come to this. Yes, there's a problem with obesity in this country, however one occasional meal out isn't the issue, it's day to day food consumption.

Having said that, using the above logic, I don't really care about seeing the calories one way or another... I'll choose what I want based on whether I think it's tasty, safe in the knowledge that I don't eat like that every day...

I agree with providing the option to use menus without calories for people who prefer to do that.

It would also be lovely to see where my food has come from and the associated air miles (or hopefully lack of).

I'd have thought it was, on balance, not genuinely useful to enough people in order to justify the detrimental effect on those with eating disorders and the generally irritating effect on those (probably the majority) who would prefer not to be calorie counting on a meal out (even if they do at home).

Most people will surely just shrug, or not even notice, or feel a bit guilty but eat it anyway. If just knowing the nutritional content were enough to make people lose weight, there wouldn't be so many overweight people.

Unless I am a complete outlier, a visit to a restaurant is an unusual treat

you are an outlier. Lots of people go once a week at least; more often if working away from home or just socialising as part of their jobs.

And of course lots of people have takeaways.

I think it's a good thing. It is likely to lead to smaller portions, which in turn will lead to less food waste. It may help people eat less, and it may also help to reduce food waste.

At the moment a lot of places won't do smaller portions unless it's for an under 12. Anyone should be able to ask for a smaller portion (and pay a bit less for it) - it should not depend on age.

The issue with overconsumption of calories is very visible on our population.

And the continued increase in obesity is surely a sign that labelling food doesn't make that problem go away?

It's shit. And pointless, as counting calories is only one measure of healthiness - other people will count carbs, or plant-based points or, one of the several other methods that is used to measure "healthy eating"

If it's shit and pointless, and you're actually counting something else (or nothing at all) then it should be easy to just skim straight over it

(The calories counts are often already available on websites or via the database on apps like MFP - doesn't seem to make much difference)

For very many people eating out is an occasional treat. Maybe something done once a month or less. One meal out of 90 is not going to make you obese, so why make unnecessary stress about what is supposed to be a treat. Everyday food in the shops is completely different scenario as it makes up the other 89 meals therefore you do need to be in control of that.

2/3 of women my age are overweight, even more men. Lots of people are genuinely clueless re cals especially cals in drinks. People eat out a lot more. I’m hoping it will result in more sensible cal options on menus.
Personally I found it useful on a day out on Monday. I’m on 1750 cals to lose and stayed within it - meal at pizza place with family (not my choice) and Nandos.
My teen DD has disordered eating (not anorexic) and is delighted and more likely to eat out now as she knows what nutrition is. I’d never have got her to order in pizza place without cals on menu. I’ve been listening to debate re eating disorders and it seems very split with lots of girls saying it helps them. Not all ED are anorexia.

@Superbabe64

Personally I'm all for it...if it educates and informs people on how many calories they are actually consuming. The issue with overconsumption of calories is very visible on our population. Obesity is as much of an eating disorder as anorexia.

I agree. Obesity is a massive problem societally and for the NHS. Our car-centric society doesn't help, and this is a bit of a sticking plaster compared with meaningful (and expensive) change like investing in safe cycle paths, but we have to start somewhere.

There have been many points made about the danger to those with disordered eating. I personally find it useful because I'm learning to make healthier choices. Knowing one dish is 200 and another is 500, if I would enjoy them both the same I make the healthier choice. I personally think knowledge is power and we can use the knowledge to be in control of our own health.

I do wish portions were smaller. At present you have to go to swanky expensive nouvelle cuisine type places to get small portions! Pub and chain restaurant portions are ridiculous.

Personally, I prefer to know what I am consuming but I think menus without the calorie information should also be available.

I think you should be able to ask for a menu with calories on it. But the normal one should be calorie free

@yellowsuninthesky

Unless I am a complete outlier, a visit to a restaurant is an unusual treat

you are an outlier. Lots of people go once a week at least; more often if working away from home or just socialising as part of their jobs.

And of course lots of people have takeaways.

I think it's a good thing. It is likely to lead to smaller portions, which in turn will lead to less food waste. It may help people eat less, and it may also help to reduce food waste.

At the moment a lot of places won't do smaller portions unless it's for an under 12. Anyone should be able to ask for a smaller portion (and pay a bit less for it) - it should not depend on age.

I swim twice a week. After swimming I am obviously hungry/cold and eat at Costa's. Realised from the calorie count that the vegetarian panini I was eating was nearly 500 calories, erasing the effects of my swimming. I now take the trouble to take a snack or fruit from home.

I think this is a good thing.

As a diabetic, I'd prefer the information about carb content especially sugars.

But for me, eating out is a treat and I wouldn't necessarily worry about the calorie content. I'd just be careful the next day.

It's a ridiculous idea, more nanny-statism, but MN collectively has an eating disorder so I imagine it will be very popular.

Thanks @nettie434. Sadly the places she will eat out at, or types of meals she will eat have dwindled over the last 2 years. At our caravan there are only 2 places she will go and we would alternate them. Both are chains. She won’t eat at smaller venues because the menus are smaller so she feels more anxious over making a choice.

@TheDoveFromAboveCooCoo
And I'm sorry but I don't get the ED argument. What is the difference between calories on a menu and calories on the front of a supermarket ready meal! All the food we buy has calories displayed!
We never buy ready meals, nor prepackaged sandwiches etc because of the packaging. In the depths of her AN she knew religiously all the calories, she still does but can ‘trick’ her brain into forgetting by doing something else whilst eating (reading, using her phone, watching TV). At a restaurant she could trick her brain by telling herself she didn’t know how an item was cooked (grilled, fried whatever) and by having side salads or rice options instead of chips/potato/pasta. She can’t do that now because the info is right there next to the option - it can’t be unseen.

Sometimes it feels like I spend my whole life thinking about food. The numbers, the quantity, the list goes on and on and it is exhausting. I am very overweight. I know I am. I have recently made some huge changes to my lifestyle (adopted a vegetarian/vegan diet, dropped the snacks and fizzy drinks completely, making a considered effort to exercise more) and I am 'counting calories' in my day to day life. It's a balancing act for me, my relationship with food is messed up and in previous attempts to lose weight I have become unhealthily focussed on the numbers and punished myself by binging if they weren't where I wanted them to be. I recognise now that my eating is disordered and any attempt to sort myself out will not succeed by restriction. My brain is not wired that way. As my dad would say it's a marathon not a sprint.

So you'd think that calories on menus would help me? Well yes and no. On the one hand it's 'handy' I suppose to be able to make a better choice but for people like me, who have a thoroughly messed up relationship with food, eating out is already a mine field. I would prefer to have the choice to not know.

Viewing food as purely good (low calorie) or bad (high calorie) isn't how we fix the obesity issues in this country. The problem has a whole host of socio economic causes that need to be fixed. Printing calories on a menu is a cop out.

Went out for lunch on Sunday - apparently the pork belly was 640kcal 😂😂😂😂😂 there's no way - I think they might have missed off a 2 at the beginning - still free calories 😁

A lot of people due to online resources are learning the value of counting calories in order to lose weight as part of a lifestyle change/maintenance so it is a huge win for people in that position and will hopefully easier access to calorie counting will encourage more people to consider that metric too.

Unfortunately, for people with a history of disordered eating it could trigger unhealthy calorie counting behaviours too. But, given that it's unlikely anyway that people with either current or past eating disorders would either be a) unaware that a restaurant pizza is likely to be heavy on calories or b) willing to eat such high calorie foods anyway, and given that the majority of both men and women in the UK are overweight or obese, and given the fact that food contains the same number of calories whether you are aware of that number or not, I'd say it's overall a big positive step forward.

Went out for a celebration lunch yesterday. Ended up skipping dinner as I got so stressed out thinking about the calories at lunch time. I’m in recovery from an eating disorder but will never be free. Only had my last therapy session last year that focused on not counting calories and focusing on nutrition, this isn’t helpful for me at all. Not sure if it will be helpful to obese people either as I assume most people who are massively overweight have a disordered relationship with food.