Kaiser Permanente Debuts Menu Labeling

Kaiser Permanente says it will become the first large health care provider in the country to offer calorie and nutrition information on its hospital cafeteria menus after a recent study showed that patrons chose healthier options when menus are labeled with those details.

According to the study, conducted by the University of California at Berkeley's Center for Weight and Health at five Kaiser Permanente cafeteria sites, patrons selected healthier options when menus were labeled with calorie information. More than 80 percent of patrons surveyed felt that Kaiser Permanente was helping them to improve their health by providing them with nutritional information in the cafeteria.

Beginning this year, Kaiser Permanente will place calorie information on menu boards in the cafeterias it operates in California, Oregon and Hawaii. In other states, where Kaiser Permanente does not operate its own cafeterias, the programs will be phased in over time.