According to a report by the Associated Press:
WASHINGTON – A requirement tucked into the massive U.S health care bill will make calorie counts impossible for thousands of restaurants to hide and difficult for consumers to ignore. More than 200,000 fast food and other chain restaurants will have to include calorie counts on menus, menu boards and even drive-throughs. Read the whole article here.
It may be a bit onerous for these restaurants to have to do this, but if you’ve ever seen those popular “Eat This, Not That” books and website, you know that often, seemingly “healthy” menu items can be worse than things that have a reputation for being “bad for you”. In this blogger’s opinion, this step is a positive one because it will help American’s make more informed choices about what they eat. Dietary choices are behind so many of the leading illnesses in our society from obesity to cancer. The more info we have as a society, the better off we will be as we choose what to eat. According to a report by the Associated Press:
WASHINGTON – A requirement tucked into the massive U.S health care bill will make calorie counts impossible for thousands of restaurants to hide and difficult for consumers to ignore. More than 200,000 fast food and other chain restaurants will have to include calorie counts on menus, menu boards and even drive-throughs. Read the whole article here.
It may be a bit onerous for these restaurants to have to do this, but if you’ve ever seen those popular “Eat This, Not That” books and website, you know that often, seemingly “healthy” menu items can be worse than things that have a reputation for being “bad for you”. In this blogger’s opinion, this step is a positive one because it will help American’s make more informed choices about what they eat. Dietary choices are behind so many of the leading illnesses in our society from obesity to cancer. The more info we have as a society, the better off we will be as we choose what to eat. 7 Responses to “New Healthcare Law Requires Chain Restaurants to Post Calorie Counts”
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I am not a fan of the whole, lets “tack on some extra stuff, most often completely unrelated” tactic that our lawmakers use when they create a bill.
However, with that said, requiring more transparency when it comes to restaurant food is really important, especially with the number of studies that have found that in many cases, the calorie/fat content reported by restaurants can greatly differ from what you actually end up with.
So, while I do not support the way these bills are passed, I do support making it easier for people to realize just how unhealthy that $1 double cheeseburger really is…
I have seen alot of folks bemoaning “how these bills are passed”. They were passed by a simple majority of elected representatives. I can understand folks opposing the bills themselves. But the argument that they were somehow passed through extraordinary means is disingenuous, Despite he fact that the right voted to a man against this law, the law still passed because a majority of Senators and Congressmen voted in favor of it. That majority – a purely Democratic bloc – is still the majority regardless of party affiliation. The American people voted for Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress and a Democratic president. The legislation being passed is a reflection of the will of the voters. Now it may not be a reflection of your personal will, or the will of those who agree with you. But the minority always has to live with the laws passed by the majority, Thats the democratic system.
I think that this bill is a very important one. I think that it is necessary that consumers understand what they are eating and how it will affect them in the long run. Instead of cutting out fast food it allows you to make a better selection for yourself and your family. I want to know that I am making the correct selection because sometimes that burger or meal that seems to be so great can create a real health problem. While some will ignore these markings next to a meal they will no longer be able to hold the restaurant accountable for the long term affects which is obesity. I think it was great they finally did something about this with the passing of this law.
I really hope this goes through and many consumers participate in this. I think obesity is a big problem and many diseases are being caused by it. I think having a calorie count listed will be a great idea because many people do not know what they are eating and how much hidden calories are in foods. I think if people see how the calorie count they might think twice about what they order.
I think having the calorie count on the menu is a great idea. I know that it will make me think twice about what choices I make not only for myself but for my grandchildren. We live in a society that is always on the go doing this going there. We need to slow down long enough to make good choices when we are eating. We all have to eat. That we cannot go without. However, with all the news today on diabetes in children you would thing more would set up and take notice. This is a critical issue. We do not want to bury our grandchildren or great grand children. This has been a real eye opener for me I want my grandchildren to be healthier than I am. I want them to understand the importance of eating a healthy meal.
Although most restaurants, in response to demands from the public they serve, already have nutritional information available, Congress felt they had to get involved. As usual, they had a knee-jerk reaction and felt they had to legislate something that should be common sense. While it sounds good, this puts an additional expense on the business, which will be passed on to the consumer.
Maybe it’s just me, but I know that if I choose the burger and fries or the fried chicken: it will have more calories than if I choose the salad or grilled fish. I personally don’t need to be told this. And calories are not the only concern when making food choices. What about sugar? What about salt? What about ingredients that I may be allergic to, or perhaps, just don’t like?
Congress should be working on the tough issues such as the ballooning deficit, unemployment, immigration reform etc. Instead they are focused on my dinner plate…
Does common sense really need to be legislated? Maybe it does…