Ronald Bailey responds to the evidence that calorie labeling doesn't really affect people's eating choices and mocks "food nannyism," writing, "Nannies always know best and they never give up."
Reason really hates food labeling, for reasons I don't entirely understand. It's one thing to point out that food labeling isn't effective, but as The Washington Post story suggests, for that reason it doesn't hurt businesses' bottom line either. But if the calorie labeling doesn't meaningfully improve public health, it at least provides the consumer with the data to make an informed decision. With labeling, it's harder to argue that your weight problem is someone else's fault, whereas nannyism seeks to prevent you from making your own choices -- by say, banning Happy Meals. Informed consent is a worthy goal in and of itself, even if people still choose to eat poorly.
It should also go without saying, though, that food labeling isn't really much of an answer to the structural reasons for why certain people have unhealthy diets.
