Recall if you will, the Gorilla talking about the problem of obesity in this country. Just to refresh your memory It is a sad statistic. Over two-thirds of Americans are either overweight or obese. With numbers such as these, there needs to be major changes made, and now is the time! Well, changes have been on the horizon for a long time and now we are finally starting to see them in front of our eyes! Many of you who eat at McDonald’s may have become aware of the fact that, for the last several years, the fast food giant has been printing the nutritional information on the back of their menus. That is a good idea considering that studies show that 9 out of 10 people underestimate the number of calories in a meal. What McDonald’s has done is certainly a great start and very helpful- that is if you bothered to flip the menu (which also doubles as a place mat) over to look. Many people the Gorilla has spoken to say they weren’t aware of this information. So for those people, McDonald’s wasted their efforts.
Well, now, for the first time ever in history, starting in New York City, some of that valuable nutritional information will be posted directly on the menu boards next to the food item. Wow! What a great way to be reminded and aware of how many calories we are consuming each time we eat fast food! The idea was put into effect by the New York City Board of Health, which voted unanimously to require not just McDonald’s, but all city chain restaurants to post the data on their menu boards. The Department of Health argued in October that “calorie information provided at the time of food selection would enable New Yorkers to make more informed, healthier choices.” The hope is that the more than 54% of New Yorkers who are obese will be able to make better, more informed decisions with their food choices, thus encouraging healthier lifestyles with the menu postings.
Of course, this new mandate did not come about without a fight. The New York Restaurant Association sued the Board of Health in an attempt to block the measure, claiming it would violate their members’ First Amendment rights. But for now, it stands and the change will begin on March 31st. It will affect restaurants with 15 or more outlets. According to the city’s health department, that’s roughly 10% of all city restaurants. So, will we see other states follow suit? Hopefully we will, but for now, it’s just good to see the fast food chains doing the same thing that some Subway’s and Quizno’s restaurants have been doing for quite a while now!
January 29th, 2008 at 9:42 am
Hopefully we will? Excuse me, but I respectfully disagree. Unfortunately, this is more nanny state nonsense. First of all, all the fast food chains post this info on their websites, on posters in the restaurants and McDonalds prints it on the back of every placemat. How much more do you want? Why don’t the supporters of this foolishness understand that when I go to the McDonalds drive through I DON”T CARE what the flippin calorie count is. If that’s what’s important to me, I’ll check it before I go. This will have no impact on obesity and just wait, in a few more years ding dongs like Bloomberg will up the ante with some more big government idiocy.