Aug. 9—A program designed to encourage more healthful food choices through simple color-coded labels and the positioning of items in display cases was equally successful across all categories of employees at a large hospital cafeteria. In an article appearing in American Journal of Preventive Medicine, a team of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers report that the interventions worked equally well across all racial and ethnic groups and educational levels.
The authors note that current efforts to encourage healthful food choices by labeling or posting the calorie content of foods have had uncertain results. Even individuals with relatively high educational levels may have difficulty reading and understanding nutritional labels, and the problem is probably greater among low-income or minority individuals with limited literacy. As reported earlier this year, the MGH research team, which includes leaders of the MGH Nutrition and Food Service, devised a two-phase plan to encourage more healthful food purchases without the need for complex food labels.