11/20/08

I want the facts, and just the facts!

http://www.newsweek.com/id/169017

The link above is to an article I was reading discussing mandating calorie counts on menus at restaurants. The article talks about whether or not it would help fight obesity or people will just eat what they want anyway. I say: WHO CARES, we deserve to have the information and know the truth ether way. Some of us will continue to eat what we like no matter the consequences and some of us will use it as a valuable tool to take control of our healthy and weight when dining out.

I know that eating out is always very hard for me. Unless I get plain grilled chicken or fish with steamed veggies or a garden salad with light dressing it is hard to estimate how many calories a dish has in it. Even when something sounds like a healthier choice, sometimes it is not.

I will be elated if the government makes this a law. Please get us the information we need to make good choices if we want to.

6 comments:

  1. Hmmm... I don't think that I agree with you. :o ) If I go over to someone's house and have dinner with them, I don't demand that they tell me exactly what is in their pasta sauce so I can better count my calories. I think that there are some things that we trade in an effort to escape dinner dishes and prep time. I do think that it is a wonderful thing that so many places offer nutritional information for diners. I am more apt to eat at some place if I know ahead of time what is "diet friendly" for me. However, I'd never want to make that sort of thing mandatory, because I think that the government should stay out of as many areas of our lives as possible.

    Generally, with laws it starts with something small. Maybe they mandate calorie counts. Then, they decide that there should be certain standards, which are of course set by the government. Don't we all want to treat ourselves to a nice dinner out for a birthday or anniversary and basically be served hospital food? If I want that, then I can always go and eat at the local hospital cafeteria. However, I think that is the direction we will start to head in once the government thinks that it is their job to make laws concerning people's diets. Once the calorie counts are set, anyone want to pay a "fat tax" for ordering something that the government thinks will make you fat? It's not like that hasn't already been proposed...

    :o )

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  2. i would love that, too! how often do you not plan on eating out until you realize your errands are running way too long? or you meet up with a friend intending to go for italian and she feels like chinese? or your internet goes down before you get a chance to find the nutrition info for a resturaunt you've never been to? or the resturaunt doesn't release its info?

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  3. Here in Japan if you go into a family style restaurant all the calorie counts are on the menus as a matter of course, I find it really useful!

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  4. Squishy, I think you make some interesting and valid points however I still would like the calorie counts at restaurants to be mandatory. I feel it would really help people to know what they are eating when they are dining out.

    I do think that maybe only chain restaurants should have to do this. I do know it would be too expensive for independent establishments. I also know certain independent restaurants change their menu weekly or even daily. But, for those chains that serve the same thing everywhere day in and day out, I think it would be wonderful to know the nutritionals.

    Thanks for the comment.

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  5. I'd like for this info to be available for chain restaurants. I do think it would be too difficult for independant restaurants to do. Now that I am watching my intake, I'm more likely to patronize companies that provide this information.

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  6. I don't necessarily think it should have to be on the menu next to your item but I think it should be mandatory that they have it readily available to you should it be requested.

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