Calorie Counts Misleading in Chain Restaurants

Posted on January 12, 2010 in Consumer Goods, Health & Medicine, Recent Studies

Food found in popular chain restaurants may be more caloric than advertised, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Diabetic Association. In a study of ten popular diners, the actual calorie count of food items averaged 18 percent more than the number advertised. Ruby Tuesday’s and Wendy’s were included on the list.

The study also surveyed frozen food aisle choices. Diet meals made by Lean Cuisine, Weight Watchers, Healthy Choice and others averaged 8 percent higher than the number on the label. Food and Drug Administration labels tend to underreport as opposed to over report calories, researchers said.

But misrepresenting the amount of calories could sabotage dieters, the study claimed. “If people use published calorie contents for weight control, discrepancies of this magnitude could result in weight gain of many pounds a year,” said lead study author Susan B. Roberts, a nutrition professor at Tufts University.

The researchers said that additional research would be needed to determine whether this was a nationwide problem.