The Best Idea Yet To Get People to Curb Their Junk Food Consumption

If you've been into a Burger King or a Panera lately – even outside of Michael Bloomberg's healthy-eating Eden of New York City – your eyes have likely glazed over a new row of numbers on the menu board. The Affordable Care Act mandated that restaurant chains with 20 or more outposts publish calorie counts for your consideration right next to the WHOPPER sandwich meal (1,160 calories) or the bread bowl of broccoli cheddar (960 calories!).

The idea, a classic nudge, was that consumers might curb their intake of fatty food if they had calorie counts staring them down at the decisive moment of purchase. As it has turned out, though, most of us are entirely unmoved by this data. Research suggests that calorie labeling has no effect on decision-making for most diners. Your own experience probably tells you this, too.