As you "re-enter" the Real World, after an extended holiday recess, you might notice a change in your office break room. Under a new labeling regulation brought upon by President Obama's health care act, calorie information will be required to be displayed on items offered in vending machines across the United States. Such an initiative is intended to promote healthier eating habits, reduce obesity rates and increase health care savings.
Despite the optimistic outlook, it does not seem realistic to claim that vending machines will transform from staples for ravenous bingers to safe havens for figure friendly feasters. According to the general public, noting calories will not impact an impulse buy at a vending machine. It has also been documented that if a person is overly concerned about the nutritional value of their snacks, he / she could read the information on the candy bar's label upon purchasing the sweet; making the new display requirement null and void.
As an advocate for healthy eating, I am not opposed to the new regulation, but I do understand that it might be a stretch to claim that displaying calories will greatly impact the obesity epidemic in the United States.
What I do support is the possibility of the "peer pressure effect" resulting from the changes to the traditional vending machines. Such an effect links itself to better purchasing decision among individuals who are told that their co-workers / peers are making low calorie choices. Those individuals are much more likely to make the same choices themselves!
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