A study published in the journal pediatrics suggests that parents choose lighter products for their children when presented with the caloric content of the food. The calorie reduction seen among the 99 parents was 20%, with no correlation with the frequency of consuming fast-food. The 102 calorie reduction might be one step towards improving the health of overweight and obese children. This study has been very encouraging for the states that now consider making nutrition imformation on menus mandatory in the US.
The city famous for its provocative health campaigns, goes from asking “are you pouring on the fat” to asking restaurants to cut down on the salt. Dr. Sonia Angell, director of the Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Control Program at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene wants people to cut down on salt. As nearly 80% of a person’s total sodium intake comes from pre-packaged foods and restaurant meals the best way would be to get restaurants to hold the salt. The goal is to get a 25% salt reduction over five years in packaged and restaurant foods. While some restaurants remain skeptic when it comes to the deadline, the 2006 no trans-fat campaign was considered a success three years after the launch.