California bill requires chain restaurants to post calories on menus.

The Washington Post (10/1, A2, Surdin) reports that "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) signed a bill Tuesday requiring chain restaurants to put calorie counts on their menus and indoor menu boards, making California the first state to enact such a law in the battle against America's expanding waistline." By 2011, "chains with 20 or more locations" will have to amend their menus, and "starting in July, restaurants and drive-thrus will have to offer" brochures "that provide information on the calories, saturated fat, carbohydrates, and sodium in each item." Failing to do so could result in fines of "$50 to $500." The governor said that "the legislation was part of the state's push to set a national model for nutrition policy and to fight obesity, which costs the state $28.6 billion in healthcare costs, lost productivity, and workers' compensation." The AP(10/1, Lawrence), AHN (9/30), and the San Jose Mercury News (9/30, Garcia) also covered the story.

I wish all states would take the initiative on this as well. Hopefully we'll be seeing more follow suit =]

i wish it were done before 2011! I want that stuff now!

I live in Cali, and heard about this on the news last night while I was at the gym...I think it's GREAT!  I'm sooo excited and think it's a brilliant idea....I definitely agree that more states should join the band wagon!

now all we need is all the other states to follow...and have it done before 2011!  I think it's a fantastic idea.

I too think it's a great idea. When my SO learned how many calories he was consuming in one fast food meal, he was shocked. He now eats less fast food. He'd heard the information, but seeing it was shocking to him.

I think it's unconstitutional to impose such a law on only large chains. I don't care how much it costs to implement. If it is a good idea for McDonalds, it's a good idea for Tony's Pizza, down on the corner.

 edit...and Spago.

I don't know if it's unconstitutional per se. It would depend on the constitutions of each state. Besides, there are many laws based on the sizes of organizations that have never been declared unconstitutional.

The first one off the top of my head is the American Disabilty Act. Not all businesses have to have handicapped parking or restroom facilities or special entrances. This was to keep the small Mom & Pop shop from having to implement costly changes. As the business grows then they have to conform.

i agree, 'gator, especially given the time frame.  i don't know any restaurants that don't revise and reprint menues at least yearly, so cost really is negligible.  they have plenty of time to adapt recipes if necessary.

then make it based on annual sales, mooni. the idea is to help people make informed decisions, not impose regulations on only one sector of the food services industry.

it would be like sales tax only applicable at Target and not the local drugstore.

Annual sales would amount to about the same type of thing. I think the chain restaurants is a great place to start. It can be expanded. It probably will be expanded. We need to start somewhere. I happen to think the chain restaurants are a good place to start.

Original Post by missmontana:

I live in Cali, and heard about this on the news last night while I was at the gym...I think it's GREAT!  I'm sooo excited and think it's a brilliant idea....I definitely agree that more states should join the band wagon!

 I agree. I'm so tired of getting the deer in the headlights look from the cashier when I ask for a nutritional menu. Pennsylvania doesn't post calorie information enough, IMO.