Calorie labels in walking minutes did not show a clear change in purchases
Across ten workplace cafeterias in England, the average barely moved. By site: four decreased, one increased, and five showed no difference.
The key idea
The average barely moved, but cafeterias responded differently: four decreased and one increased.
The study, in plain language
The labels added walking minutes alongside calories. In ten workplace cafeterias in England, researchers randomized when each site began using them and tracked electronic sales for 12 weeks: more than 250,000 purchases, with labels on 93% of products.
Across the cafeterias, there was no clear change in calories purchased. Results varied by site: four decreased, one increased, and five showed no difference. Looking only at the average would have hidden this variety. The measure was sales of labeled products, not each person’s consumption, and the pandemic and differences between sites limit generalization.
What they found
- On average, there was no clear change in calories per purchase: the difference could be a decrease or an increase.
- By cafeteria, four showed decreases, one showed an increase, and five showed no difference.
- Researchers tracked sales of labeled products, not each customer’s consumption.
How they studied it
Researchers randomized when each of ten workplace cafeterias in England began using labels and analyzed electronic sales over 12 weeks. They measured calories in labeled products bought in each transaction. They measured electronic sales of labeled products, not each customer’s intake.
What the study cannot show
- Purchases do not show how much each customer ate and cannot link each sale to a person. Variation among sites and the pandemic context limit generalization.
Something to think about
When a label or campaign seems obvious, do you ask whether it changed actual purchases and at how many sites it was tested? Here the average stayed similar and sites responded differently.
The original study
Evaluation of physical activity calorie equivalent (PACE) labels’ impact on energy purchased in cafeterias: A stepped-wedge randomised controlled trial
Source under CC BY 4.0. English adaptation and explanation by PaperFlow, with AI assistance. The text has been reorganized for a general audience; it is not the complete paper and does not imply endorsement by its authors.
One study alone does not represent a field's consensus. Educational content does not replace professional advice. Report a possible error.
