Do you really want to know what's in your dinner?
As stated in the Daily Press, one provision of the new health care bill requires that the FDA come up with new regulations for displaying calorie counts on menus. The regulations, which will apply to restaurants with 20 or more locations, will be developed by the FDA this year.
Many states already call for calorie information to be listed on menus, but regulations like this will be pretty new for Virginia. While Hampton Roads residents can sometimes see nutritional information printed on menus, typically calorie counts are only listed for designated low fat items or are displayed online or in literature separate from the menu.
What will it be like when customers can see that the burger they want is over 1,000 calories? Will it help curb obesity?
Preliminary studies done have shown that not only are calorie counts likely to be ignored by customers, but they can even be incorrect. A survey of Ruby Tuesday's restaurants, several which are located in Hampton Roads, showed that actual calorie counts tend to be around 18 percent higher than those listed.
Restaurants around Hampton Roads that would be affected include many major chains, from fast food to ice cream shops.
Will consumers begin going to restaurants that don't display calorie counts, or will they simply ignore the postings?
Or maybe...we'll all lose some weight!
Comments
That's an interesting question! I think I'd be swayed to choose something less fattening. Maybe even avoid restaurants that didn't serve food that was low fat. I bet we'll start seeing more calorie-conscious/low fat menus in an effort to save customers.
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