Physical activity equivalent labeling vs. calorie labeling: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Nutrition Science
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Obesity is a global health challenge requiring effective control strategies.
• Nutrition labeling aims to guide consumers toward healthier food choices.
• Calorie labeling has shown limited effectiveness in influencing consumer behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and assess literature comparing physical activity equivalent labeling with calorie-only labeling.
• To evaluate the impact of these labeling strategies on consumer health behavior.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search across multiple databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, etc.).
• Inclusion of studies published between January 2000 and October 2016.
• Meta-analysis using a fixed-effect model to combine calorie purchase data.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant difference in calories ordered between physical activity labeling and calorie-only labeling groups (SMD: -0.03).
• A modest reduction of 65 Kcal was observed in real-world settings with physical activity labeling compared to calorie-only labeling.

Conclusions:

• Physical activity calorie equivalent labeling does not significantly decrease calorie consumption compared to traditional calorie labeling.
• Current evidence suggests limited impact of this labeling method on reducing ordered calories.