The Obama administration has recently released a calorie-posting law which requires all food chains and restaurants with 20 or more locations to post calorie counts on their menu cards and drive throughs.
The law, a part of the president’s health reform campaign, is set to come into effect from 2011 all over the nation.
The law has also directed the Food and Drug Administration to establish a new standard for labeling of menus. The standards would then be followed by all the food chains.
Targeted at reducing obesity in the nation, the new law would keep people updated about how many calories they are consuming while eating out, which they are currently unaware of.
News Chief cited Mary Story, a nutritionist and obesity expert at the University of Minnesota, as saying, “Right now, when coffee drinks can range from 20 calories to 800 calories and even hamburgers can range from 250 calories to over 1,000, people have no idea what they’re eating.“
The law would also imply on vending machine but some meals like specials would be exempted.
Law aimed at changing consumer behavior
Instead of discouraging people from eating out, the law aims at marking some healthy changes in consumer behavior and their eating preferences.
It can remarkably reduce obesity in the nation by prompting the customers to eat healthier food, depending on their calorie counts.
Right now, only a negligible number of obese customers notice the calorific values of the food items while ordering, reveals a study published last year by the online journal Health Affairs.
The bill passed in New York two years ago has forced restaurants to include more low-calorie options in their menu.
Now the calorie counts would be right on the menu cards, instead of pamphlets, making it harder for customers to ignore the nutritional value of the food items while ordering food.
New York, the first city to apply law
The first city to apply the law in the nation is New York, followed by California and Seattle.
Consumers in these cities have become more vigilant in choosing their meal options, reveal sources. The law has also had some success with reducing the obesity and diabetes cases.
The bill passed in New York two years ago has forced restaurants to include more low-calorie options in their menu.
For example Starbucks has turned to low-fat milk, KFC switched to grill options and McDonalds has cut down its serving size for French fries.
"That growing patchwork of regulations and legislation in different parts of the country has been a real challenge, and this will allow operators to better be able to provide their information,” says Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, who wrote the provision.
source: themoneytimes
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