How Some Restaurant Customers Are Reducing Calories

Reading the calorie counts at your favorite fast-food joint may give you indigestion for a minute, but it’s probably not going to influence your order.

Instead, you’re more likely to opt for lower-calorie foods if you’re invited to, suggests a new study from Tulane University researchers. Customers who ordered starchy side dishes at a Chinese fast-food restaurant were asked whether they’d like to save 200 calories or more by opting for a reduced serving of the side. Some diners also had menus with prominently displayed calorie labels, and some were offered a 25-cent discount for the smaller portion, but neither scenario significantly affected whether customers chose the reduced serving—which as many as one-third did when they were asked.