Mandatory Nutritional Information on Menus ?

There was an interesting piece on 60 min (I think) last week that discussed the passing of legislation making it mandatory for fast food restaurants to post their nutritional information where it could be viewed by customers. Some fast food places already do, but make it illegible to the average person.

I think that although it is a great idea, the average consumer doesn't care what they put in their body, and even if you were to post the caloric and and fat content they would still order the same crap. So then how do you get through to people that they are essentially killing themselves?

Maybe a picture of 1lb of body fat's equivalence in cooking lard. Or show a clip of someone who has lost a limb due to diabetes? Better yet each new year's eve as the ball drops on time square, light up the ever increasing percentage of obese people in the U.S?

Until we change how people view food, American obesity will continue to be an increasing plague.

Tue. Nov 20, 8:37am

I agree with you. Some people don't care. Heck, when I regained all my weight I was well aware of the UNnutritional value of most of the crap I put in my mouth.

As a teacher I am well into the "What do you do when people don't want to help themselves" query and we are still struggling with the ideas on how to "force" things onto growing (or grown) people.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007, 10:44 AM

at least it would help the people who do care to make smarter decisions.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007, 11:16 AM

Although I realize that fast food restaurants are not the best options out there, sometimes it is convenient, and it would be nice to have the nutritional info available at the restaurant so that I can make the best possible choice. If I know ahead where I'll be going, I try to look up the info online, but that's not always possible.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007, 12:26 PM

Would it really stop someone

if they knew that there was 850 cals in one of the quesso dips ??

Monday, December 3, 2007, 1:51 PM

It would stop some (like me) and not others (like my husband.)

Monday, December 3, 2007, 4:06 PM

I would personally love to see this happen in all restaurants! When I order "steamed Veggies" I want to make certain they aren't also mixed with butter and sometimes they are, that's very disheartening! When eating out it's a crap shoot, something you THINK is healthy may not be so I think it would be a huge help.
My husband thinks it's just another way to control us as Americans but I disagree. Then again, he doesn't really watch what he eats, I watch it for him!
To the poster who asked about the Queso... Oh yeah, that would turn me off of it completely!!

Monday, December 3, 2007, 4:07 PM

I think there are a lot of people it would help. My husband eats fast food at least once a week (he's one of those thin people who thinks he's healthy just because he's thin). He doesn't pay all that much attention to nutrition but I think if he saw how many calories were in some of the things he orders he would definately rethink his choices.

I think there are a lot of people out there who care about their health but aren't proactive enough to learn the information themsleves.

Monday, December 3, 2007, 4:44 PM

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