Half of young women don’t support calorie labels on menus, YouGov report finds

A majority of young women fear calorie information on menus will negatively impact those with eating disorders

Restaurants and cafes became obligated to provide details of the calories in their meals from the beginning of April (Getty Images)

Half of young women do not support the mandatory inclusion of calorie labels on menus, a new study by YouGov has shown.

Over half (54 per cent) of Britons surveyed in a new poll shared exclusively with The Independent state that they support the move, compared with just 37 per cent of women aged between 18-29-years-old.

And over seven in 10 (71 per cent) of women in the same age bracket fear the move will negatively impact people with eating disorders, compared with just a quarter (25 per cent) of other age groups.

From 6 April, restaurants, cafes and takeaway stores with more than 250 staff were required to print how many calories are in their meals on their in-house menus, websites and on any delivery platforms they may use.

The government introduced the ruling as part of a broader plan to tackle what it calls the obesity epidemic and to help people make healthier choices.

Of 1,687 adults surveyed online by YouGov between 16-18 April, over half (62 per cent) said they rarely or never counted the number of calories they consumed, compared with three per cent who said they “always” do, and 10 per cent who said they “often” do.

When asked whether they felt listing calories on menus would have a positive or negative impact on helping people eat more healthily, 45 per cent said they expected it to have no impact, eight per cent said it would have a negative impact, while 38 per cent expected it to have a positive impact.

In terms of meeting the government’s goal of tackling obesity, over half of those polled (51 per cent) did not think the move would have any impact, while just under a third (31 per cent) thought it would be positive.

And over a third (37 per cent) felt the move would impact those with eating disorders.

Eating disorder charities and nutritionists have criticised the move, stating it could aggravate potentially unhealthy behaviours towards food.

“We know from the people we support that including calories on menus can contribute to harmful eating disorder thoughts and behaviours worsening,” Tom Quinn, director of external affairs at Beat, one of the UK’s leading eating disorder charities, said.

“It can increase a fixation on restricting calories for those with anorexia or bulimia, or increase feelings of guilt for those with binge eating disorder. There is also very limited evidence that the legislation will lead to changed eating habits among the general population.”

Former Public Health Minister, MP Jo Churchill, said: “Our aim is to make it as easy as possible for people to make healthier food choices for themselves and their families, both in restaurants and at home. That is why we want to make sure everyone has access to accurate information about the food and drink we order.”