Kilojoule labelling helps students make healthy choice

Interesting article below…..supports our position that education, be it on food, beverages, confectionery etc rather than increasing taxes is a far more sensible approach.
Jeff Rogut
Kilojoule labelling helps students make healthy choice

REBECCA URBAN
THE AUSTRALIAN
MAY 14, 2015
The Age
Labels detailing the energy content of fast-food items have led to a significant drop in the quantity of kilojoules consumed by young people, sparking calls for the practice to be adopted more widely in a bid to combat rising obesity rates.
A study carried out at the University of Sydney found that menu labelling at a campus food outlet combined with a marketing campaign shaved almost 1000kj off consumers’ meal select­ions and a decrease in sales of some energy-dense items.
Sales of a 5500kj hamburger — about two-thirds of an average adult’s suggested daily ener­gy intake — fell by 30 per cent.
The research, due to be presented on Friday at the national conference of the Dietitians Assoc­iation of Australia in Perth, is among the first to be carried out in Australia showing that labelling at fast-food outlets can affect consumer behaviour.
It has been endorsed by the industry peak body, which, along with the government and other health authorities, has been struggling to curb the nation’s obesity epidemic, with more than 60 per cent of adults now classified as overweight or obese.
Lead researcher Rajshri Roy, of the Charles Perkins Centre, said a key contributor appeared to be the inclusion of a marketing message, linking back to NSW Health’s 8700kj campaign, advisin­g consumers of their daily kilojoule requirements.
About 700 students aged 19- 24 took part in the study. Menu labelling is now expected to be rolled out across the university’s remaining 36 food outlets.