Calories and Restaurants in the News

Summary-

New Yorkers have been in the throes of sticker shock since this spring when the Big Apple became the first city in the country to implement a law forcing chain restaurants to post the calorie count of each food in the same size and font as the price.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25464987/

I found this article incredibly amusing, and I pray that other cities do the same.

That would be nice!  I live in a smaller town, so that will probably never come here...  but it sure would make eating out easier!  Now I have to find their website and hunt around until I know what I can order.  Although, preparing in advance does help me avoid places that have nothing for me to eat besides a side salad without dressing :P

I try to do research on chain restaurants I go to, but I still think this is a good idea.  Although, from the story, I was amused at this:

“I’m so upset,” she said, noting some entrees — like the Jack Daniels ribs and shrimp dinner — contain almost 2,000 calories..."

Okay, I know some items and marketing is deceptive, but seriously - this woman was actually surprised that a full slab of ribs drenched in sauce and served with fried shrimp and french fries has that many calories?   And then specifically asks for a menu without the info - she's more upset about the guilt trip than the facts about her chosen meal.  Just...wow....

I'm so pleased I don't live in New York!  Isn't eating out in a restaurant meant to be a little extravagant?  Isn't that part of the point... that it's a treat?   As someone that doesn't eat out particularly often I'd find it really miserable to be looking at a menu and 1000 calories!!!  to be staring back at me from something I was really looking forward to eating.   It would completely kill all the enjoyment.   Cigarettes come with health warnings for fairly good reasons.  But to treat good food the same way is totally overreacting. 

I agree with gi-jane...  know they're trying to help people make a more educated decision about what they're eating. But I think it would be better if the restaurants were only required to have their nutritional info online, or available when requested or something, so that some people don't get an unnecessary guilt trip.

gi-jane- I totally get your point of view, but for me when I go to a restaurant I try to balance enjoyment with calories. Usually when I eat out, I go home and scour the Internet to see how many calories I took in. Sadly I would want restaurants to do this, it would be more convenient for me(im selfish I know :P). The reason this was done however was more for those who eat out ALL the time, whether it just be at starbucks everyday or eat out for dinner all the time. Its still viable for people that rarely go out to eat to gorge a bit. But for thsoe that eat out everyday and get more and more unhealthy which, face it, is around 66% of American adults, will help tell them they need to make smarter choices. Technically, unhealthy food is becoming as unhealthy as smoking, as more and more people take the "easy" route to food.

And as only chain restaurants that have to comply, I could still eat at a very nice restarant without knowing what calories I am eating :P.

Original Post by gi-jane:

Cigarettes come with health warnings for fairly good reasons.  But to treat good food the same way is totally overreacting. 

 Is it? The leading cause of death in the US isn't lung cancer or emphysema, it's heart disease.

Original Post by katepoo:

I agree with gi-jane...  know they're trying to help people make a more educated decision about what they're eating. But I think it would be better if the restaurants were only required to have their nutritional info online, or available when requested or something, so that some people don't get an unnecessary guilt trip.

 Sry for the double post, I had to respond to this too. :P For people that don't actively count calories or really care enough to go online to search, this will really force them to face the truth of how they eat. I know some peopel will get a guilt trip, but still it is for good health. 

And one other bonus, if this forces restaurants to make healthier food and cook healthier, how can we complain? That means better conditions for everyone.

Ahahaha!  That article is great!

Lord, I wish this were the "norm" and not just NYC.  It's so difficult to make healthy choices when eating out, and in a society that socializes over food, I sometimes don't have a choice about when/where I eat out.  I have no problem ordering a 1500 calorie dinner, but tell me up front so I only eat half of it, ya know?

When I first started CC-ing, I was shocked at how many sit-down chains downright refuse to post nutritional info.

And cigarettes narrow the arteries and are a big factor in heart disease.  Are people really so bone idle and wealthy in the US today that they're eating out 24/7? 

I live in NYC and i LOVE that they passed this law. The thing that is annoying is that its only at chain restaurants and most people in NY eat at smaller private restaurants. Their are also a lot of deli/lunch places that this law doesn't apply to that i really wish did supply this information. sometimes things seam a lot healthier then they actually are. I did go to Wendy's a few weeks ago and this info was SO helpful. i was able to keep my dinner very low cal even though i was at Wendy's! I know all that information lives on here but to have it right there when you are ordering is very helpful

You would be really surprise about how little most people know about nutrition though. My friend was never someone who has watched what she eats. Recently she decided she was going on a diet. her first day i asked her how she did, she told me "Great! I had a muffin for breakfast and a tuna sandwich from the deli on a bagel!" ...she truly though that was low cal and healthy.

i think that when you see the crazy calorie count starring you in the face you will be much more likely to eat something bad. its very easy to tell yourself, na that cant be THAT bad... when it clearly states that it has 1500 calories in it theirs no lying to yourself!

I believe it.  We've already heard of ridiculous court cases where people try to blame MacDonalds for their morbid obesity problem on the basis that they didn't know eating cheeseburgers every day was a stupid thing to do.    But that seems to me to be indicative of a much more fundamental breakdown in basic education than just 'not knowing the calories'.   I doubt the same person went home and dined on steamed fish and broccoli..... !

Original Post by gi-jane:

And cigarettes narrow the arteries and are a big factor in heart disease.  Are people really so bone idle and wealthy in the US today that they're eating out 24/7? 

Obesity also increases the risk of type II diabetes and related complications.   The CDC is already classifying the increased rates of it as an "epidemic."

And people's tendency to eat out a lot more may not have a lot to do with wealth.  Despite rising food costs, it's still cheap, comparatively speaking, to eat at a chain restaurant.  Lazyness is probably a factor - I'm sure there are a lot of people who just don't feel like cooking on a regular basis (but I'm willing to bet education on how to cook is a factor too).

Original Post by gi-jane:

But that seems to me to be indicative of a much more fundamental breakdown in basic education than just 'not knowing the calories'.  

 They wouldn't have brought anything to court if there weren't gaggles of lawyers willing to file the suit.  It's beyond basic education - we've created a generation of people that are convinced if anything is wrong in their lives, not only are they not responsible, it's the court sytems' job to fix it.

I wish they'd do that EVERYWHERE! It might encourage restaurants to start providing lower-calorie/more healthy meals so that we could eat out without ruining our diet...

Original Post by gi-jane:

And cigarettes narrow the arteries and are a big factor in heart disease.  Are people really so bone idle and wealthy in the US today that they're eating out 24/7? 

 Sadly I would say yes to this. I read the news all day, now that food prices in grocery stores are going up studies show it is starting to be cheaper to go out to eat then do grocery store runs. People in the US are very lazy. The latest study showed about 1/3 of US children are overweight, and over 2/3s of adults are overweight.  I don't blame restaurants for making people obese by no means, but people do need to be "shocked" into realizing their choices are the wrong ones. There is news all over about how the US is the leading country in obesity, and how 2/3's+ of adults are overweight, that doesn't do anything however. What other way is their to educate people about bad food? The news, internet and schools don't work for the majority of people.

And those that want to eat healthy and go for salads, such as the example in the article, they will realize restaurants don't even make healthy salads. Im not sure, but education for the masses isn't a bad thing to me.

All this time I've been reading the word 'restaurant' and thinking... italian place with check tablecloths serving pasta and Chianti... rather than 'greasy burger and pizza joint'!! LOL!

My view is that anyone walking (or driving) into a fast food chain has already decided that they're not worried about their health, wellbeing or calories at all.  They're just fuelling depots to chow down on the cheap.  Not a place to relax in a convivial atmosphere and enjoy good food.   Anyone truly concerned with their health just doesn't go to these places on a regular basis.  And putting the calories on the menu won't shock anyone into doing anything because presumably they've no idea how many calories is too many either. 

My eight-year-old at school is being taught about nutrition and a healthy lifestyle.  I cook good food for us, encourage him to try different dishes and explain why it's Ok to snack on a banana but why I'd rather he didn't eat so many sweets.  I think that's how you solve the obesity crisis.... start early with positive information and role-modelling at an early age.    

Original Post by gi-jane:

Not a place to relax in a convivial atmosphere and enjoy good food.   Anyone truly concerned with their health just doesn't go to these places.   

I'm going to have to disagree.  I occasionally go out with hubby, who does not watch his calorie intake, and even when choosing a place like Red Robin, we relax in the "convivial atomsphere and enjoy good food."  I occassionally go out with co-workers, and my preferences shouldn't always dictate the choice.

It is good to start at an early age, I agree, and you are doing a good job. And I'm sure you fall into the minor category of parents/people that really care about your health and your kids healthy eating. But what about 2/3's of the country? The overwhelming majority of the country that isn't caring, or going to do anything about the obesity crisis.  I wish the problem could be solved just at a young age, but so many adults let themselves slip, it will carry to their kids too. GOtta solve the adult problem at the same time you deal with children.

And I will agree with santonacci sometimes its hard/impossible to avoid chain places. And this incompasses all chain restaurants, not just mcdonalds/BK, but chains like olive garden, red robin, outback, etc. And the majority of sit down restaurants like olvie garden are where the problem lies. Most people that go to say BK, either don't care about health, or are in a hurry I agree. But putting calories in starbucks, or outback will shock people a bit.

Most people should know how many calories they should be taking, because 2000 calorie diet is plastered almost everywhere :P.

i think it's great.  now maybe restuarants will start trying to offer more healthy selections and enough people will start eating them that they stay on the menu.

if everything you buy at the grocery store has nutritional information, i see no reason not to have it available when you dine out.  people can choose to ignore it.

Wow I think it is great. I wish they would do that around here! I think this will make more of these chains use healthier ingredients, and make their portion sizes smaller.

I would rather know I am eating a 2000K meal then to so accidentally. At least I can modify my other food intake accordingly, and decide whether that meal is really worth it or not.