Adding Calorie Information to Menus Helps Reduce Obesity-Related Cancer Risk

Adding calorie information to menus contributes to reductions in obesity-related cancers and healthcare costs, according to a study published in BMJ Open on April 18, 2023.

American researchers examined the effect of menu calorie labeling on reducing 13 obesity-related cancers by evaluating its effects on consumer behavior and food industry reformulation.

Below are the cancers whose risk is significantly increased by obesity:

For this study, researchers evaluated the effect of menu calorie labeling on reducing the obesity-related cancer burden by conducting a cost-effectiveness analysis . The analysis used a population model of adults aged 20 and older in 2015-2016, representing 235 million adults in the population.

The model integrated US national demographics, calorie intake from restaurants, cancer statistics, and estimates from published literature on the policy's effects on calorie intake, dietary changes and changes in body mass index (BMI), the relationship between BMI and cancer rates, and policy and healthcare costs.

Some studies conducted before this research indicate that menu labeling significantly reduces consumers' calorie intake and that restaurants implementing it tend to offer lower-calorie options.

• The study by Bollinger and colleagues, entitled "Calorie posting in chain restaurants.", showed that menu calorie labeling reduced calorie intake in 6% of consumers.
• The study by Bleich and colleagues, entitled "Relationship between menu labeling and calorie intake.", showed that menu calorie labeling steered 10% of consumers toward lower-calorie food choices.
• The study by Cantor and colleagues, entitled "Menu labeling and obesity.", indicates that menu calorie labeling is associated with a 1.8% reduction in obesity rates. 

The current study discussed in this article assessed primary outcomes such as new cancer cases prevented, cancer deaths prevented, and net costs in the overall population and demographic subgroups. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were evaluated from societal and healthcare perspectives and compared with a threshold of 150 thousand US dollars per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained.

Menu calorie labeling was associated with the prevention of 28 thousand new cancer cases and 16.7 thousand cancer deaths. By cancer type, the largest numbers of preventable new cases were in uterine (5,700), liver (5,180), kidney (5,090), postmenopausal breast (4,840), and pancreatic (1,400) cancers. The highest estimated cancer death figures were for liver (4,530), postmenopausal breast (3,080), uterine (2,060), kidney (1,980), and pancreatic (1,230) cancers.

Considering consumer behavior alone, menu calorie labeling yielded 111 thousand life years and saved 1.48 billion dollars in cancer-related medical costs.

Menu Calorie Labeling Should Be a Policy Priority

The study clearly demonstrates that menu calorie labeling is effective in reducing the obesity-related cancer burden and lowering healthcare costs. Implementing this policy could play an important role in preventing obesity-related cancers and reducing healthcare costs associated with these cancers. Menu calorie labeling policy could also have a broader impact on efforts to tackle obesity by encouraging the food industry to offer healthier, lower-calorie food choices.

Greater health gains and cost savings are projected particularly for young adults. Given that obesity and obesity-related cancer rates are considered higher in these population groups, menu calorie labeling could provide important benefits for these communities.

In conclusion, menu calorie labeling policy plays an important role in reducing the obesity-related cancer burden and healthcare costs. Policymakers can contribute to cancer prevention efforts by considering such policies a priority. The food industry and restaurants should also comply with these policies to provide healthier, lower-calorie food choices and help consumers make informed decisions. In this way, it may be possible to achieve the goals of preventing obesity-related cancers and reducing costs.