The health-care bill that will be signed by President Obama shortly also includes a provision that will require restaurants with more than 20 locations to place the calorie information for foods on menus so that the information is easy to see while customers order, the Associated Press tells us. New York City was the first place in the country to require calorie information on menus or displays, and now the restaurant industry faces similar moves in so many cities and states it supported the measure's addition to health-care reform legislation.
The FDA will have a year to write the new rules, which health advocates have been pushing for years. Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said it's one step in the fight against obesity.
'Coffee drinks can range from 20 calories to 800 calories, and burgers can range from 250 calories to well over 1,000 calories,' she said.
That last bit is the important thing. The ingredients and recipes used from one restaurant to another on the same items are mysteries, so it's hard to judge what you're eating. Now, hopefully, it'll be easier.
-- Monica Potts