Observational studyBMJ open2019
A bit or a lot on the side? Observational study of the energy content of starters, sides and desserts in major UK restaurant chains.
Observational study in BMJ open, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
22 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Downsizing food: a systematic review and meta-analysis examining the effect of reducing served food portion sizes on daily energy intake and body weight.The British journal of nutrition · 2023Pooled it
- Socioeconomic position and the effect of energy labelling on consumer behaviour: a systematic review and meta-analysis.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2023Pooled it
- The effect of healthier menu item price reductions in the out-of-home food sector on energy purchased and consumed: a restaurant-based pilot experiment.BMC public health · 2025Trial
- Do calorie labels change energy purchased in a simulated online food delivery platform? A multi-arm randomised controlled trial.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2024Trial
- The impact of calorie labelling and proportional pricing on out of home food orders: a randomised controlled trial study using a virtual food and drink delivery app.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2023Trial
- The impact of altering restaurant and menu option position on food selected from an experimental food delivery platform: a randomised controlled trial.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2023Trial
- Is there a healthy-food premium? A cross-sectional analysis of the UK online food delivery sector.Health promotion international · 2026Article
- Assessing food procurement greenhouse gas emissions and food waste in UK fine dining.Cleaner food systems · 2026Article
- Examining use of restaurant nutrition information among adults living in England engaged in disordered eating or weight management efforts.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Changes in out-of-home food purchasing following the introduction of England's calorie labelling regulations: a population-level controlled interrupted time series analysis.BMJ public health · 2026Article
- The UK Food Environment: A Systematic Review of Domains, Methodologies, and Outcomes.Current developments in nutrition · 2025Review
- Differences between the normal and perceived appropriate portion sizes of discretionary foods.European journal of clinical nutrition · 2025Article
- Evaluating the association between the introduction of mandatory calorie labelling and energy consumed using observational data from the out-of-home food sector in England.Nature human behaviour · 2025Article
- Social inequalities in the use of online food delivery services and associations with weight status: cross-sectional analysis of survey and consumer data.BMJ public health · 2024Article
- Assessing public perception and awareness of UK mandatory calorie labeling in the out-of-home sector: Using Twitter and Google trends data.Obesity science & practice · 2023Article
- Article
- Associations between the food environment and food and drink purchasing using large-scale commercial purchasing data: a cross-sectional study.BMC public health · 2023Article
- Monitoring the Nutrient Composition of Food Prepared Out-of-Home in the United Kingdom: Database Development and Case Study.JMIR public health and surveillance · 2022Article
- Price promotions offered by quick service restaurants in Australia: analysis from an obesity prevention perspective.Public health nutrition · 2022Article
- Increasing availability of lower energy meals vs. energy labelling in virtual full-service restaurants: two randomized controlled trials in participants of higher and lower socioeconomic position.BMC public health · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesOur objective was to examine the kilocalorie (kcal) content of starters, sides and desserts served in major UK restaurant chains, comparing the kcal content of these dishes in fast-food and full-service restaurants.
designObservational study.
settingMenu and nutritional information provided online by major UK restaurant chains.
methodDuring October to November 2018, we accessed websites of restaurant chains with 50 or more outlets in the UK. Menu items that constituted starters, sides or desserts were identified and their kcal content was extracted. Accompanying beverages were not included. We used multilevel modelling to examine whether mean kcal content of dishes differed in fast-food versus full-service restaurants.
main outcome measuresThe mean kcal content of dishes and the proportion of dishes exceeding public health recommendations for energy content in a main meal (>600 kcal).
resultsA total of 1009 dishes (212 starters, 318 sides and 479 desserts) from 27 restaurant chains (21 full-service, 6 fast-food) were included. The mean kcal content of eligible dishes was 488.0 (SE=15.6) for starters, 397.5 (SE=14.9) for sides and 430.6 (SE=11.5) for desserts. The percentage of dishes exceeding 600 kcal was 26.4% for starters, 21.7% for sides and 20.5% for desserts. Compared with fast-food chains, desserts offered at full-service restaurants were on average more calorific and were significantly more likely to exceed 600 kcal.
conclusionsThe average energy content of sides, starters and desserts sold in major UK restaurants is high. One in four starters and one in five sides and desserts in UK chain restaurants exceed the recommended energy intake for an entire meal.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.