The Royal Society for Public Health UK (Royal Society), an independent, multi-disciplinary charity dedicated to the improvement of the public’s health and wellbeing, claims that most consumers do not understand the meaning of calorie intake in the context of energy expenditure.  Royal Society states that “physical activity calorie equivalent or expenditure” labeling (“PACE labeling”), which estimates how many minutes of walking or running would be needed to burn off the calories in a given product, will help combat obesity.

On December 10, 2019, in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, UK researchers claimed that PACE labeling is a “simple strategy that could be easily included on food/beverage packaging by manufacturers, on shelving price labels in supermarkets, and/or in menus in restaurants/fast-food outlets.”  The research report stated that “public health agencies may want to consider the possibility of including policies to promote (it) as a strategy that contributes to the prevention and treatment of obesity and related diseases.”

UK researchers are not the first to consider PACE labeling.  In 2015, a U.S. study reported that PACE labels are an alternative way of labeling that may reduce the number of calories ordered in fast food meals while encouraging patrons to exercise.  We will continue to monitor any developments.