Mindful Marketing
  • Home
  • About
    • Mission
    • Mindful Meter & Matrix
    • Leadership
  • Mindful Matters Blog
  • Engage Your Mind
    • Mindful Ads? Vote Your Mind!
  • Expand Your Mind
  • Contact

Do We Really Want to Know How Many Calories?

12/13/2014

 
Picture
“Ignorance is bliss”—for decades that’s been the motto for many of us as movie-goers when indulging in tubs of buttered popcorn, extra-large sodas, and various other cinematic snacks.

The veil of ignorance is being lifted, however, by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which has decided to require calorie counts for prepared food, not just at movie theaters but also at amusement parks, restaurant chains, and grocery stores, as well as from large vending machine operators.

Leveraging arguments from economics, some have questioned whether more nutritional information is better.  For instance, the new ruling clearly will impose added costs on businesses that are required to comply.  Another economic argument dealing with the notion of “lost pleasure” is less intuitive but even more interesting . . .

If people see that a large tub of movie theater popcorn contains as many as 1,200 calories (a huge portion of a 2,000 calorie-a-day diet), they may forgo the popcorn, or whatever other prepared food they were planning to eat, which would result in reduced pleasure, or in economic terms, a “loss of consumer surplus.”  Some have estimated that this lost pleasure could total $5.27 billion over 20 years.

Of course, the FDA is not a marketer but a regulator of marketers.  Still, it’s important to ask whether the FDA ruling will result in more Mindful Marketing.  Despite what the preceding arguments suggest, the overall, long-term answer is “yes.”

When it comes to making purchase decisions, having more information is almost always better for consumers than having less information.  In the case of deciding which food to eat in a restaurant, movie theater, etc., publishing calorie counts can’t hurt.  If people want to ignore that information, they can.  Otherwise, they can decide whether or not they want to sacrifice some short-term pleasure for other long-term benefits.

Will the FDA requirement lead people to eat less high calorie food?  It probably will.  Will people also eat less food overall?  Probably not, or at least not that much less.  Instead we’ll be looking for new food options that are lower in calories and still taste good, i.e., the best of both.  The end result should be a positive influence on our society’s health, as well as new opportunities and incentives for innovative food producers to practice more Mindful Marketing.

Picture
Picture
Subscribe to Mindful Matters blog--it's free!
Learn more about the Mindful Matrix and Mindful Meter.
Check out Mindful Marketing Ads and Vote your Mind!
Reed Horanburg link
12/15/2014 01:11:52 am

Great article Dave! Thank goodness the FDA is standing up to the bogus idea of “lost pleasure” by providing greater transparency.

This paragraph really hit it home for me:

"When it comes to making purchase decisions, having more information is almost always better for consumers than having less information. In the case of deciding which food to eat in a restaurant, movie theater, etc., publishing calorie counts can’t hurt. If people want to ignore that information, they can. Otherwise, they can decide whether or not they want to sacrifice some short-term pleasure for other long-term benefits."

David Hagenbuch link
12/16/2014 05:53:36 am

Thank you, Reed. I appreciate your feedback!

Abigail
1/11/2015 11:57:09 am

This article is very relevant in our society today with people watching their weight around this time of year. It is so common for families eat more than half of their meals away from home and on the run because of its convenience. Only select restaurants display calorie information on menus or make a complete set of nutrition information about their food and beverage options readily available to consumers. I think the customer should be given calorie counts of what they are purchasing. As humans, we have a right to know what we are putting into our bodies. These labels can help those who want a snack at the movies or restaurant to have a healthier alternative. Although this is true, those who are watching their figure normally are not going to get the limitless refills of ice-cold soda and the endless bucket of buttery popcorn. People can choose to ignore or change their buying habits based on the information presented to them. No matter how much calorie information is on the menu list, people still choose the food they like, not what's supposed to be healthier.

Jess
1/26/2015 06:07:30 pm

I believe that this new FDA requirement will definitely make a change. As personal health is increasingly becoming more and more popular, people are already beginning to look at calorie counts. Although there are many who are already health conscious, others remain oblivious and unconcerned about what goes into their bodies. This new requirement will make those people realize how many calories are actually in the food that they are consuming. While not forcing restrictions on the types of food served, this will bring awareness. This is what I believe to be the most beneficial. The new awareness will consequently bring slow openhearted change to more healthy foods instead of being met with a fight. Overall, I agree that this is a very mindful move that will positively impact the future.

David Hagenbuch link
1/27/2015 12:19:09 am

Good point, Jess,about the value of increased awareness.

Tom
1/27/2015 03:41:33 pm

I believe that movie theaters will suffer dramatic decrease in food/snacks sales, but the FDA is doing the right thing for the food consumers. Being told the calorie intake will make movie theater have to produce healthier option for movie goers. Since movie theater food is at such a high price already I cannot see the price of food going up, regardless if they have to spend more for a healthier option. Seeing such a large calorie intake many food costumers will start to shy away from movie theater food.


Comments are closed.
    Subscribe to receive this blog by email

    Editor

    David Hagenbuch,
    founder of
    Mindful Marketing    & author of Honorable Influence

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014

    Categories

    All
    + Decency
    + Fairness
    Honesty7883a9b09e
    * Mindful
    Mindless33703c5669
    > Place
    Price5d70aa2269
    > Product
    Promotion37eb4ea826
    Respect170bbeec51
    Simple Minded
    Single Minded2c3169a786
    + Stewardship

    RSS Feed

    Share this blog:

    Subscribe to
    Mindful Matters
    blog by email


    Illuminating
    ​Marketing Ethics ​

    Encouraging
    ​Ethical Marketing  ​


    Copyright 2020
    David Hagenbuch

Proudly powered by Weebly