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# CDC Obesity Study: Adult Use of Calorie Information in Fast-Food and Chain Restaurants
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/calories_cdc_obesity_fast_food_1122130615/
- Published: 2013-11-22T19:14:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-15T14:03:37.000Z
- Description: In a 2009 survey of 4,363 adults, only 36.4% of those eating at fast-food and chain restaurants said they read posted calorie information, but 95.4% of readers used it at least sometimes. Women read it nearly twice as often as men.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Dining, Recipes & Dining, #vivvo-import

| ![Fast food](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f5/c2/f5c28c07-f2c7-440d-8161-125a09d9bc91/content/images/2026/08/3c44400b8e37fd77963c35164fe1afc2085deff9.jpg) A new CDC study, published online this week in the [Journal of Public Health](http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTMxMTIyLjI1NjA5ODcxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDEzMTEyMi4yNTYwOTg3MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3ODg1NjE1JmVtYWlsaWQ9Zm9vZGNvbnN1bWVyLm9yZ0BnbWFpbC5jb20mdXNlcmlkPWZvb2Rjb25zdW1lci5vcmdAZ21haWwuY29tJmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&101&&&http://jpubhealth.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2013/11/20/pubmed.fdt109.full?keytype=ref&ijkey=dbGIGPaRce87JTf&ref=foodconsumer.org), found in a population-based survey of Americans that almost all U.S. adults who read calorie information when it is available at fast-food and chain restaurants actually used the information. Researchers found that 95.4% of those who read calorie information used it at least sometimes when making their food choices. Researchers examined sociodemographic variables in a sample of 4,363 adults using the 2009 HealthStyles survey. However, among the 3,512 who reported eating at fast-food and chain restaurants, only 36.4% reported reading calorie information when available. Reading calorie information however was not related to race, income or education. |
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The study also found the following:

- Women were nearly twice as likely to read calorie information when available compared to men.
- Adults who ate at fast food or chain restaurants 3 or more times per week were less likely to read calorie information than those going less than 4 times per month.

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**For more Information:**

- Download this full PDF of this study visit the [**Journal of Public Health**](http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTMxMTIyLjI1NjA5ODcxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDEzMTEyMi4yNTYwOTg3MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3ODg1NjE1JmVtYWlsaWQ9Zm9vZGNvbnN1bWVyLm9yZ0BnbWFpbC5jb20mdXNlcmlkPWZvb2Rjb25zdW1lci5vcmdAZ21haWwuY29tJmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&102&&&http://jpubhealth.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2013/11/20/pubmed.fdt109.full?sid=ede54f0f-efcc-48b1-ad4e-c8872236c96f&ref=foodconsumer.org)
- Read more about [menu labeling](http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTMxMTIyLjI1NjA5ODcxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDEzMTEyMi4yNTYwOTg3MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3ODg1NjE1JmVtYWlsaWQ9Zm9vZGNvbnN1bWVyLm9yZ0BnbWFpbC5jb20mdXNlcmlkPWZvb2Rjb25zdW1lci5vcmdAZ21haWwuY29tJmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&103&&&http://www.cdc.gov/phlp/winnable/menu%5Flabeling.html&ref=foodconsumer.org)
- [CDC Overweight and Obesity](http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTMxMTIyLjI1NjA5ODcxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDEzMTEyMi4yNTYwOTg3MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE3ODg1NjE1JmVtYWlsaWQ9Zm9vZGNvbnN1bWVyLm9yZ0BnbWFpbC5jb20mdXNlcmlkPWZvb2Rjb25zdW1lci5vcmdAZ21haWwuY29tJmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&100&&&http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/index.html&ref=foodconsumer.org)