A new study released Thursday found that young people eating at fast food or chain restaurants twice a week or more were half as likely to use calorie information as those eating there once a week or less.
The study, published in Journal of Public Health, found that those most likely to use the calorie information are girls and children who are obese, said the researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study looked at a sample group of 721 American youth between 9-18 years old and was done in the fall of 2010.
"Our findings are important given the high prevalence of obesity among youth and the adverse health effects associated with obesity," study lead author Dr. Holly Wethington said in a journal news release. "It is encouraging that a large number of youth, particularly youth who are obese, reported using the calorie information.
"This may have potential to lead to improved food and beverage choices as a way to manage weight, although more research is needed to assess whether youth know how many calories they should consume in a day given their activity level," added Wethington, of the CDC's division of nutrition, physical activity and obesity.
Childhood obesity has tripled in recent decades. One potential contributing factor is fast food, which is generally higher in calories, salt, and fat than home-cooked food, the study noted. The survey asked the children how often they ate fast food, and if they considered the calorie information on the menu. They were also asked if this information influenced their food choices. The researchers also considered the participants' age, gender, height and weight.
The survey noted that out of the children that participated in the study, 56 percent were boys, and while most of the children were a healthy weight, 13 percent were obese.
The survey revealed that 66 percent of the kids said they ate fast food once a week or less, and 34 percent reported eating fast food two or more times a week.
