Researchers say strategies to encourage healthier eating should put pressure on the food industry rather than consumers
Calorie labels on takeaway menus are rarely factored into consumer choices and are unlikely to encourage people to eat healthier, findings from a new survey of people living in England suggest.
The responses point to taste and price being the most important factors when deciding which takeaway to order, and around 7 in 10 do not notice calorie labels listed on online menus. Of those who noticed the labels in the study, the majority said it did not affect their food choices.
Around 50% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that alternative interventions, such as traffic-light labels and more healthy alternatives on the menus, would encourage them to make a healthier choice.
The study was led by researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), University of Reading and University of Exeter, and supported with funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) School for Public Health Research (SPHR).
The full findings are published in BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health.
It is estimated that almost two-thirds (63%) of adults in England are overweight or living with obesity. Current guidance recommends that adults should consume around 2000kcal per day and main meals should contain around 600kcal each. Frequent consumption of food eaten away from the home, including takeaways, has been linked to higher energy intake and poorer diet quality.
As part of a government strategy to encourage healthier eating, calorie labelling was mandated from April 2022 for large 'out of home' food businesses across England, including restaurants, cafes and takeaways. As well as listing the calories for each food item, menus must also include a statement of the recommended daily calorie intake.
To understand whether the inclusion of calorie labels on online takeaway menus influenced consumer choices, the team surveyed 1,040 adults living in England who had reported buying takeaways through a consumer panel at least once in the past 12 months. People with restrictive dietary requirements, such as vegetarian or vegan, were excluded from the survey due to their options already being more limited.
Survey participants were asked questions on how often they purchased takeaways, their awareness of recommended calorie guidance and labelling, if noticing calorie labels influenced their decisions and what factors they consider the most when buying a takeaway or deciding on a home-cooked meal.
The majority of respondents were women (68%) and over half (57%) were aged between 35 and 55 years old. Over a quarter of the sample (27%) reported having takeaways weekly or more often. A further 41% reported having takeaways every two weeks to once a month.
Taste and price were ranked the most important factors when deciding which takeaway to order, while healthiness and low carbon footprint were ranked as least important.
The majority (77%) of respondents did not notice any calorie information during their most recent online takeaway purchase. Of those who did, 71% said it did not affect their food choices. When asked questions on recommended energy content, only 15% correctly identified the 600kcal content for a meal.
People under the age of 35 were more than twice as likely to order takeaways weekly or more often, than those who were older. The sample were also asked to self-report their height and weight measurements, which the research team used to calculate Body Mass Index (BMI) scores. Comparable to estimates for the general population of England, just over half of the study sample had BMI scores indicating they were living with obesity (35%) or were overweight (28%). Individuals with BMI scores that classed them as obese or overweight were twice as likely to have weekly or more frequent takeaways compared to those with healthy or underweight BMI scores.
As this analysis used self-reported survey answers, more research is needed to establish why calorie labels are not being noticed or taken into account in decision-making, and why some people may be more or less likely to purchase takeaways to begin with. The authors also say that the low number of male respondents and people aged under 35 are also limitations of the study.
Associate Professor Laura Cornelsen, lead author of the study based at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), said: "When we buy out of home food like a takeaway, we all have different motivations. A lot of people might buy takeaways for a treat or convenience, so taste, value for money and delivery time are more likely to be the deciding factors, and the amount of calories or healthiness might not be priorities.
"While calorie labels can encourage businesses to provide healthier options, they aren't necessarily the answer to reducing unhealthy eating and tackling obesity. Our survey suggests that many consumers are not taking calorie labels into account. Partly this could be that only large businesses are required to provide them in the first place, partly on how these are presented on the menus, or also because there is a lack of interest or knowledge on how to use this information.
"When we asked participants what they think could improve healthy eating, they suggested for example 'buy one get one free' offers on healthier dishes and more education early on in schools on food preparation. These are both examples of interventions that can equip people with the knowledge to plan healthier options in a way that works with their schedule and income.
"The focus should be on tackling systemic issues, like making it simpler and more affordable to purchase healthier options, rather than adding even more pressure to consumers and families to change their choices. The onus should also be on the food industry to get creative with offering, tasty and affordable meals that also meet nutrition guidelines."
Study co-author Dr Cherry Law, a food economist at the University of Reading, said: "While awareness of calorie labelling rules is quite high, most people don't notice the information when ordering online, and even when they do it rarely changes what they choose. The takeaway message is that we need strategies that reflect what people care about when eating out, as calorie information alone is not enough."
Publication
Cornelsen L et al. Calorie labelling and other drivers of takeaway food choices. BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health. DOI: 10.1136/bmjnph-2025-001268.
