January 22, 2008
Fast Food Calorie Info Coming Soon, Like It Or Not
Today the Board of Health is expected to pass regulations requiring 10% of the city's 23,000 restaurants to prominently display calorie counts on their menus. A previous push to require calorie disclosure was blocked by a federal judge in September; the new rules will be mostly limited to fast food restaurants that have 15 or more locations nationwide.
And the restaurant industry is expected to take the city to court again. In a statement to the Daily News, Justin Wilson of the Center for Consumer Freedom derided the city's “nanny-state public health policies. It doesn't take a Ph.D. in nutrition, let alone a high school diploma, to tell the difference between a 12-piece bucket of chicken and a salad.”
Of course, the CCF – formerly the Guest Choice Network – has long been the aggressive P.R. front for the tobacco, alcohol and restaurant industries. This is the same group that runs ads dismissing America’s obesity epidemic – the nation’s second leading cause of death – as “hype.” City health officials insist the regulation will result in 150,000 fewer New Yorkers becoming obese over the next five years and at least 30,000 less diabetes cases.
Depending on the litigation, the calorie displays could be shaming you toward the salad bar as soon as March 31st, so ignorance is still bliss for the next couple months at least – provided you steer clear of Calorie-Count.com, where we got these impressive Big Mac Cheeseburger stats.
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I fail to see why so many people are so pissed off about this. If you want to continue to eat this shit, then go ahead and do so! No one is outlawing it, they're just requesting that the information be posted.
Maybe this will keep ignorant asshats from suing the fast food industry for not knowing that eating a big mac every day is bad for you.
Counting calories is about the silliest way to deal tackle the obesity problem. Not all calories are create equal. The 2nd silliest thing is worrying about eating fat.
Fatsos count calories and get fatter. They also eat and drink those nasty diet food. And salad. Fat people love salad.
people know that fast food is bad for them, but they never exactly know HOW bad. it's better to be informed. for example, i knew that big macs were high in calories and fat, but i never really thought about the sodium in it. (1148 mg?!?!)
but aside from big macs, nutrition information is helpful because a lot of people think they are being healthy by eating a salad, yet fail to realize that the dressing they just globbed on has 300 calories per 1/2 oz.
You mean if I eat only three Big Macs a day I can get almost 100% of my daily recommended intake of iron?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
Mickey D's here I come!
A calorie is a calorie is a calorie. People who count calories and can't seem to lose weight are either underestimating what their intake is (because the afternoon vending machine snack doesn't count or they don't realize a whole Bloomin' Onion from Outback is over 2,000 calories or because so many people don't know how big portions really should be - not the size of a 12" plate) or overestimating the calories they need in a world where we spend most of our time sitting at our desks or in front of the tv(walking three blocks to the subway on your way to work does not count as moderate aerobic exercise).
Not that the food at Del Posto, Daniel, Cru, or any other fancypants place is healthy -- I bet there are things on those menus that make a quarter pounder with cheese look like a slim-fast shake.
People who say that a calorie is a calorie have no understanding of basic biochemistry, especially as it relates to nutrition. The false assumption is that human body is a perfect, effecient processor of food--that every calorie consumed is processed and taken up, that it doesn't matter if it is fat, carb, or sugar. Sorry, but it doesn't work that way.
A calorie is a calorie is a calorie.
Not true. Not true. Not true.
Back to the matter at hand:
More information is always better for the consumer. Always. Less information is always better for the people selling you things that are unhealthy in excess. This isn't a "nanny state". A nanny state would outlaw Big Macs. Nobody is doing that.
We are living in a nanny state, whether you wish to acknowledge it or not.
As for the legislation at issue, there is a basic issue of fairness that is sorely lacking here. Why should only fast-food chains with 15 or more units be subject to disclosure? What about the corner delis, food carts, diners, and restaurants of all types that serve the vast majority of meals in NYC? Shouldn't they too be required to provide caloric information on the food they sell? If not, then why subject fast-food restaurants to such regulation? I predict that any food disclosure legislation that discriminates in the manner described in the article will be successfully challenged by the affected restaurants.
Personally, I appreciate restaurants that voluntarily provide nutritional information. As the article mentions, many already do, and information on others is available through third-party websites.
"I predict that any food disclosure legislation that discriminates in the manner described in the article will be successfully challenged by the affected restaurants."
I doubt it. There are countless regulations that only kick in at certain thresholds.
The previous reg was struck down because it conflicted with federal law, not because it was "unfair". The restaurants' first amendment claims were not addressed, but are unlikely to be upheld. Again, there are countless disclosure regulations that specify the exact manner of disclosure.
@cgee
Because it's hard to get this measure passed.
So they came up with the idea that simply making places that already have such information readily available, make it easily observable too. They decided not to make "everyone" do it, because most of those places don't have nutritional information available,. Besides all the small businesses would get upset about it, and it would be even more difficult to pass. This is a much more reasoned approach to get the information to consumers. I'm sure they'll work on spreading it later.
And I never understand people like you cgee, who think having more information is a nanny state. Should we just start taking off labels of things? No ingredients, no nutritional information? Finally! Freedom! haha.
I'll also remember to check out those sites next time I happen to have a laptop available with a wireless connection while at a taco bell.