National calorie menu labeling law could add years of healthy living, save billions

The national law requiring chain restaurants to include calorie labels on menus is estimated to prevent tens of thousands of new heart disease and type 2 diabetes cases—and save thousands of lives—in just five years, according to a new study estimating the law’s impact. The research model also estimated that the law would produce $10-14 billion in healthcare cost savings and another $3-5 billion in societal cost savings, such as from prevented lost productivity, over a lifetime.