Is Calorie Label Missing the Mark in NYC?

This week, the NY Times reported on a study by NYU and Yale that suggests that New York's fast food calorie labeling requirement may not be changing many consumers' ordering and eating behavior. Confoundingly, the Times reports:

"It found that about half the customers noticed the calorie counts,
which were prominently posted on menu boards. About 28 percent of those
who noticed them said the information had influenced their ordering, and 9 out of 10 of those said they had made healthier choices as a result.

"But when the researchers checked receipts afterward, they found that people
had, in fact, ordered slightly more calories than the typical customer
had before the labeling law went into effect, in July 2008."

What does this show? Perhaps it's one thing to make consumers more aware of their calorie intake, but another if they don't understand, or can't access or afford, alternatives? In fact, without understanding how or being able to make alternate choices, calorie labeling may do little than create more dissonance and stress for some people. 

So whither calorie labeling? It doesn't mean it has failed. As Food Politics blogger Marion Nestle points out after reading the article, it means we have to do a better job of putting this information in context, including better education about total calorie needs each day, and how to access affordable alternatives. (And we need to continue working to ensure more affordable alternatives are provided.)