Parents Slash Calories on Kids' Fast-Food Meals

Parents, armed with nutritional data, will order lower-calorie selections for their kids at McDonald's, a study shows.

In fact, meals were reduced by more than 100 calories on average when parents were given the nutritional information, compared with a group of adults who didn't have the data, Seattle researchers found. The study included 99 parents of kids 3 to 6 years old who sometimes eat at McDonald's. Half of the parents were given the calorie information. The results were published in the journal Pediatrics.

While there have been other studies showing changes in ordering behavior when nutritional information is listed on fast-food menus, the researchers at Seattle Children's Research Institute say this is the first to show that parents will significantly reduce the number of calories for children's meals when menus are clearly labeled.

McDonald's and other fast-food joints, soft-drink makers, and packaged-food manufacturers are bearing the brunt of criticism from some consumer groups who say these companies contribute to the obesity problem in the U.S., particularly when it comes to children. Some groups, including the Center for Science in the Public Interest, have called for calorie counts on menu boards at fast-food restaurants like those in New York City.

"Just an extra 100 calories per day may equate to about 10 pounds of weight gain per year," says Pooja S. Tandon, a research fellow at the institute and the University of Washington School of Medicine. "Our national childhood-obesity epidemic has grown right alongside our fast-food consumption. Anything we can do to help families make more positive choices could make a difference."

McDonald's has been sensitive about its image with parents and has added healthier choices for its Happy Meals in recent years, including apple slices and milk. The company's mascot Ronald McDonald often encourages kids to get off their butts and exercise.

But as the world's biggest burger chain, Ronald will continue to be a target.

"McDonald's has always been committed to providing a variety of wholesome, balanced menu options for all of our customers, including our youngest guests," the company says in a statement.

One interesting aside: When ordering for themselves, parents in the study didn't reduce calorie counts for their own orders.