Pubs urged to display calories on menus by council leaders

The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents almost 400 councils, has told pubs, restaurants and cinemas they must do more to tackle the UK’s growing obesity problem.

Chair of the LGA councillor Izzi Seccombe said: “We are calling on pubs, restaurants and cinema chains to step up to the plate and show leadership in tackling the obesity crisis by providing clear and graphic signs at counters and on menus.

“In many cases, people are unaware of how many calories they are consuming. Food and drink outlets should be doing more to provide clear and prominent labelling which spells this out clearly.

“This is all about enabling people to make informed choices about what they eat and drink. Some retailers are already introducing calorie counts and this is a step in the right direction. But the industry needs to go further, faster so people know how many calories their food and drink contains.”

Wetherspoons already lists calorie content on its menus and Marston’s offers some meals that contain less than 500 calories.

Nearly 70% of UK residents support calorie content labelling for alcohol as well as food, according to the Royal Society of Public Health.