P i s t a c h i o

A Stanford University study released this week looks at the buying practises at fast-food outlets that display caloric information.

First the good news.

At Starbucks, customers who usually choose high-calorie items were twice as likely to choose a lower-calorie option now that the sad facts stare them in the face.

Since New York City made it mandatory to post calorie charts in April, 2008, Bucks’ customers have reduced their caloric intake by 26 per cent per transaction.

The whipped cream on top: no impact on profits.

Now the bad news.

Another part of town tells another story. Customers of McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King and KFC in lower-income neighbourhoods, where there’s a higher incidence of obesity, were tracked the same way.

The calorie charts made absolutely no difference.

For as long as there’s fast food of the sort we’re talking about here, there’s going to be the exercise of choices that revel in consumption, not vanity.

A couple of years ago in Toronto, McD’s put comfy chairs in one location for a café-style ambiance. I wonder if charts would work there.