The Impact of Warning Labels on Reducing College Students' Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake

Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are one of the few dietary items causally linked to the development of obesity and chronic disease. SSB consumption among young adults are particularly concerning, because of the high levels of consumption and the influence of disease risk in later life. College students, particularly freshmen, are a captive audience when it comes to dietary consumption because many of them consume their meals in residential dining halls. We are currently working with Michigan Dining to implement warning labels on SSB fountain dispensers to examine whether carefully tailored signage could alter beverage choices of college students. The current study aims to assess changes in dietary intake before and after the labels are posted, in a representative sample of University of Michigan students who eat at residential dining halls.