According to the results of a study conducted among residents of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), restaurant visitors in Abu Dhabi ordered an average of 114 fewer calories per meal when menu information indicated calorie counts alongside nutritional data. Furthermore, 94 percent of survey participants supported the implementation of calorie labeling on menus.
These findings were presented by the Healthy Living movement, which is aimed at prevention and is overseen by the Abu Dhabi government under the Department of Health. As part of this movement, a strengthened partnership with the UAE Behavioral Sciences Group (BSG) was announced, which is a federal behavioral science division based in the Department of Development Affairs.
This collaboration places behavioral science at the center of the emirate's efforts to make healthier choices easy and standard for residents, ranging from product placement on supermarket shelves to information on product packaging.
The work of BSG contributed to the development of the Nutri-Mark system—a food labeling system on the front of packaging, launched by the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Public Health Center. This system rates packaged products on a scale from A (highest nutritional value) to E (lowest), allowing buyers to quickly compare items within the same category.
Before these labels appeared in supermarkets, they were tested in a simulated online supermarket run by BSG. The study, involving 2733 UAE residents, demonstrated that product placement and clear labeling significantly influence purchasing behavior, especially regarding staple foods like bread, where buyers more often chose healthier options.
An additional study involving 4000 UAE residents showed that nutritional labeling increases consumer understanding, enhances the intention to choose healthier products, and fosters positive attitudes. However, the same study also revealed persistent misconceptions about dietary balance, underscoring the need for continued public education.
His Excellency Dr. Ahmed Al Khazraji, Executive Director of Healthy Living at the Department of Health, noted that sustainable behavior change begins with understanding how people actually live. He stated that approaches that are universally applicable rarely yield long-term effects because they do not reflect the diverse living conditions or unique realities people face daily.
He added that significant and sustained behavior change requires attentive listening, understanding the choices people face, and the environment that shapes those choices. Collaboration with BSG helps the movement better understand community needs and identify service gaps, ensuring that interventions are 'targeted, effective, and focused on where they can achieve the greatest and most lasting impact for future generations.'
Rasha Attar, Director of BSG at the Department of Development Affairs, reported that Healthy Living has employed a evidence-based approach since its inception. She noted that this collaboration generates locally informed insights that are used for decision-making and contribute to the growing international body of evidence on behavioral science in policy.
Both entities stated their intention to continue applying behavioral science to shape policy, strengthen research, and implement measures that make healthier choices easier and more natural in daily life, expecting that the knowledge gained will serve as a foundation for similar initiatives across the UAE.
