Putting calories on menus can reduce how much a person consumes, which could lead to fewer people developing diabetes, a dietician has said.

According to Sinead Hanley, a dietician and regional development officer with Diabetes Ireland, current evidence clearly indicates that people consume less when eating out if calories are shown on menus.

She pointed to research in the US which found that people ate over 150 calories less at hamburger venues if calories were shown and more than 70 calories less at sandwich bars with each purchase. This amounts to as much as 6% fewer calories overall each day.

"If calorie intakes are reduced by this much in Ireland, it would have a major effect on our obesity levels and therefore our type 2 diabetes problems," Ms Hanley explained.

She said that the risk of diabetes ‘soars as the pounds pile on'.

"A rise in BMI from 21 (healthy) to 35 (obese) means a person is 50-80 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes," she pointed out.

While some restaurants already display calories, many do not despite a report from the Food Safety Authority of Ireland last year, which found significant support for such measures.

"The report revealed an overwhelming demand by consumers (96%) for calorie menu labeling in all or some food outlets, with 89% saying that calories should be displayed beside the price of food and drink items on the menu," Ms Hanley said.

She noted that when food is prepared outside the home, people simply do not know what ingredients are being used and how the food is prepared, ‘so calorie menu labeling is vital if people are to make more informed choices about what they eat'.

She pointed out that almost one-quarter of the total calorie intake of Irish adults is consumed outside of the home, therefore the food sector has an important role to play.

She also noted that high-calorie food and drinks are ‘widely available' and some foods can be much higher in calories than consumers realise. For example, a cafe latte can contain around 200 calories, while a coffee with low fat milk contains about 20 calories.

She insisted that if the amount of calories is shown on menus, this ‘will help consumers make more informed choices about what they eat'.

Ms Hanley made her comments in the Irish journal, Diabetes Professional.