DALLAS — Posting calories on a fast food menu can make a difference.
In a small study printed in the journal Pediatrics, parents ordered about 20 percent fewer calories for their children when they chose from a menu that offered nutrition information.
According to a new survey, nearly seven in 10 Americans think that having better choices in the drive-thru would encourage them to eat better. Executives at Taco Bell are testing that theory with a new campaign called the "Drive-Thru Diet," which has received a lot of attention thanks to Christine Dougherty, Taco Bell's new marketing weapon.
"When I decided to trim down, I knew I had to be realistic with myself," Dougherty says in a Taco Bell ad. "I didn't want to cut out my fast food. I lost 54 pounds by reducing my daily calories and replacing my usual fast food with Taco Bell's Drive-Thru Diet."
Her weight-loss success eating tacos and burritos has brought customers to Taco Bell in droves.
"I'm having one crispy taco, fresco style," said Jannice Griffin of her Taco Bell diet choice. Both Griffin and her daughter are on Weight Watchers.
"The fresco style fits right into our point values," she said. "There's no cheese on the fresco style, just the tomatoes and lettuce."
The Drive-Thru Diet includes seven options, including fresco-style, which means served without the sauce and cheese. All choices are under eight grams of fat, with fewer calories than other menu items.
"You absolutely can lose weight in any way that helps you decrease your calorie intake," said Lona Sandon, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association and a registered dietitian at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
As long as one's overall calorie intake is low, Sandon said people have a lot of options when it comes to eating — including chocolate.
"What they're offering is a way to decrease your calorie intake, but it's very limited," she said. "You only get one or two tacos for about 400 calories. That's not going to fill you up for long."
Sandon also said salt is a concern when it comes to the diet.
"If you're talking about someone who needs to lose weight to improve their health, if they have high blood pressure or maybe they have high cholesterol and other heart health problems, they don't need the extra salt," she said.
According to Taco Bell, their new fresco menu is "healthier," not healthy. It also states it can help "calorie reductions," but not actual weight loss.
"Now, these results aren't typical," Dougherty says in the commercial. "But, for me, they're fantastic."
However, even she confessed that when she ate at Taco Bell it was part of a 1,250-calorie-a-day diet. It also took her two years to drop the 50 pounds.
"I can't see that it's going to hurt me any," said Spence Andrews while eating a fresco-style taco.
Taco Bell is counting on customers to buy into that philosophy, too.
E-mail jstjames@wfaa.com
