BOSTON - In 2018, the Affordable Care Act mandated chain restaurants to list calorie counts for each item on their menu in an attempt to get Americans to reduce their calorie intake. And a new study from Tufts University suggests the strategy is working.

Adults are consuming, on average, 24 fewer calories in restaurants each day, which could prevent a least 28,000 obesity-related cancer deaths and save almost $3 billion in healthcare costs.

Obesity is a known risk factor for at least 13 types of cancers including liver, kidney, breast, and pancreatic cancer, and American adults get about 20% of their daily calories from restaurants. Listing calorie counts has also been associated with a reduction in cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.