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WASHINGTON -- Like it or not, many restaurant diners will soon know more about what they are eating under new menu labeling requirements proposed by the Food and Drug Administration.
The new requirements will force chain restaurants with 20 or more locations, along with bakeries, grocery stores, convenience stores and coffee chains, to clearly post the amount of calories in each item on menus, both in restaurants and drive-through lanes. The new rules will also apply to vending machines.
The calorie counts, will apply to an estimated 280,000 establishments. Required as part of health overhaul legislation signed into law last year, they are designed to give restaurant diners information that has long been available on packaged goods cooked at home. The FDA estimates that a third of calories are consumed by eating out.
"We've got a huge obesity problem in this country and its due in part to excess calorie consumption outside the home," says Mike Taylor, FDA deputy commissioner for foods. "Consumers generally when you ask them say they would prefer to have that information."
But don't expect calorie shock when ordering at the movie theater, where a tub of popcorn can contain well north of a thousand calories – movie theaters are exempt, along with airplanes, bowling alleys and other businesses whose primary business is not to sell food, according to the FDA.
This is how it starts. First government sanctions a point of view with labels and then they’ll tax it. If your ordering in a drive thru lane you arent there for the steamed fish and vegetable plate.
Diabetics need carbs, fiber, protein and fat, too. Minimum would be net carbs (carbs minus indigestible fiber.) Calories don’t really help us calculate our insulin requirements.
"Consumers generally when you ask them say they would prefer to have that information."
Consumers generally will say yes to anything that doesnt cost them something.
I’d use that.
Actually post the ingredients would be even more useful.
It’s about time. Great law.
My point is that if you’re eating that often at chain restaurants, you probably don’t give a damn about your weight anyway.
Baloney. It had an impact on me the first time I saw the calories posted in some restaurant. I had in mind one thing to order and when I found out it was about 850 calories, I chose something else with about 400 calories. I qualify as ANYONE, so you’re wrong.
(Insert rolling eyes icon here.)
This is an excellent idea. I’m totally behind it.
OK, now what result is expected? Do we thinks Americans are suddenly going to stop eating for entertainment and eat for nutrition? Americans approach eating is wrong!!!! Eating needs to be about the body’s needs, not the tongue and the emotional state only!!!
It is about time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Quite elitist, if you ask me. Ignorance rules!
My mom defended her cigarettes and also accepted her lack of respiratory function as if it was her first born. All the way to the grave.
But but…I thought Ignorance was Strength.
Knowledge is sooooo last century.
Information is not nanny state. It’s a state of awareness.
I’m sure there are places like FatBurger that will proudly post the calorie count of their 1800-calorie burger (I think it’s a couple of patties, egg, and bacon) and some people will order it. No one’s going into FatBurger looking for a low-cal treat.
Very well put.
Education is not dictatorial.
Opponents said this was government telling us what to eat. In reality, it is government telling restaurants they must tell us what we are eating – a big difference that’s long overdue.
If the information is not available, how is one to know?
Most dishes can be made low carb/cal/fat/sodium, or high cal/carb/fat/sodium...nice to know for any given dish.
I want to know about the sodium, too.
I do not see it that way at all. You do not have to read the info if you don’t want to.
I want to know. I might still eat some 6,000 calorie thing, but at least I will know it.
This is great for those who wish to be well informed and care about their health. It also hold those who are not accountable for their actions. The restaurants can be blamed for providing the unhealthy foods but so can the consumers for choosing to eat them.
Many restaurants have already started listing calories because consumers want it. It helps me make better decisions so that I don’t become a diabetic like half the people in my family. It doesn’t hurt. Knowledge is power, remember?
For those who do care about what we put into our bodies, though, it’s great to have the information so readily available. It’s on the label at the grocery store, and that’s not a "waste of time for the establishment" in my opinion, so why not on menus?
And as someone with a family history of diabetes and health problems, it absolutely will (and should) effect my ordering decisions. Grilled salmon and a side of vegetables can be surprisingly high calorie if smothered in enough butter and cooked with a ton of oil… why shouldn’t the specific information be made available? It’s ridiculous to make eating healthy any more difficult than it needs to be.
Great idea… people on Weight Watchers or a diabetes diet whatever won’t have to guess… everyone else can just ignore it.
I remember when I was horrified when my aunt ordered a fillet of fish sandwich because she thought fish was healthier, she ended up in the hospital! If I had been with her at lunch I could have told her that it had more calories than a burger. Diabetics have to be very careful.
Yeah! Health and information are for losers!!
It is a nanny state out of control. As a fat woman who was a former chronic dieter, I was always afraid to eat anything in public. Even Christmas and Easter with family dinners were chores. I have long since embraced size acceptance and will probably order something high calorie as loudly as I can in protest. But for many, dining out will be another dreaded event. No one will get what they want, what is the point. Sad because more of us can’t afford eating out anyway, can’t we have birthdays or other special events without the food cops and their issues. The only good is that maybe more will choose mom and pop places exempt from the law. Know I will!
I don’t care as much about calories as I do sodium. I have had a heart attack and have to take care to not have too much salt. Some restaurant entrees have as much as 2 day’s salt in one serving of pasta or other dishes. I seldom eat out as a result. Oh well. Salads are tiresome.
Absolutely ridiculous law! It won’t stop ANYONE eating what they want. People are free to educate themselves on what is high in calories. It’s another waste of time for the establishment.