Dodger
Tue, Feb-15-05, 16:42
Bills seek posting of calorie, fat content
By Angela Delli Santi, Associated Press | February 15, 2005
TRENTON, N.J. -- Show a group of nutritionists a 10-ounce restaurant hamburger and an order of onion rings and have them calculate the number of calories in the meal. Easy, right?
Not exactly. The food specialists consistently underestimated the 1,550-calorie meal, by 685 calories on average, in a study of 200 dietitians by the Center for Science in the Public Interest and New York University.
"If well-trained food professionals can't accurately estimate calorie content in a plate of food, you can be sure the average consumer is at a loss when looking at a menu," said Claudia Malloy of CSPI in Washington, D.C., which cosponsored the study and is lobbying to force restaurants to provide nutrition information.
New Jersey is among a half-dozen states considering labeling laws for restaurants. Under a recent proposal in the New Jersey Assembly and pending in committee, chain and fast-food restaurants with 20 or more franchises would have to post calorie counts on menu boards -- Big Mac, 590 calories; Starbucks grande café mocha, 400 calories -- and extensive nutrition information on menus, including trans and saturated fats, salt, and cholesterol.
Similar legislation is pending in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, Illinois, and Hawaii, and is expected to come before the US Senate and House of Representatives; no state currently has such a law, Malloy said.
Many chain restaurants, from McDonald's to Subway, make nutrition information available, although it is not always publicly posted.
Nutrition labeling bills may have gained momentum with the recent success of "Supersize Me," an Oscar- nominated documentary exposing the health risks of a fast-food diet, and publicity over a lawsuit blaming McDonald's for the obesity of teenage customers.
To the New Jersey Restaurant Association, such proposals amount to overregulation for an industry already struggling to turn a profit.
"Our position is that the individual who is concerned about obesity should emphasize healthy lifestyle, personal responsibility, regular exercise, and moderation," said Dale Florio, legislative counsel for the state restaurateurs. "Seventy-six percent of all meals are prepared at home. That's where nutrition has to start."
No one on either side of the issue contends that posting calorie and fat content will produce drastic changes in what people eat. But proponents say the information could lead diners to make healthier selections and would provide sorely needed information to people with health problems who need special diets.
"When they purchase foods at restaurants, most people are using their instincts and their desire," said Daniel J. Hoffman, assistant professor of nutritional sciences at Cook College in New Brunswick, N.J. "This is a nice compromise between telling people what they should eat when they're out at a restaurant and giving them information so they have the power to choose.
"It's not going to drive them out of the ice cream store, but it may change what they buy," he said.
Hoffman said the added regulations are especially important because people eat out more often than ever, and people are getting fatter.
"This bill pushes informed choices," he said. "The misconception is that if you are overweight, you are grossly overconsuming. One hundred additional calories each day over a decade will give you 50 pounds."
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2005/02/15/states_eye_label_laws_for_restaurant_food/
By Angela Delli Santi, Associated Press | February 15, 2005
TRENTON, N.J. -- Show a group of nutritionists a 10-ounce restaurant hamburger and an order of onion rings and have them calculate the number of calories in the meal. Easy, right?
Not exactly. The food specialists consistently underestimated the 1,550-calorie meal, by 685 calories on average, in a study of 200 dietitians by the Center for Science in the Public Interest and New York University.
"If well-trained food professionals can't accurately estimate calorie content in a plate of food, you can be sure the average consumer is at a loss when looking at a menu," said Claudia Malloy of CSPI in Washington, D.C., which cosponsored the study and is lobbying to force restaurants to provide nutrition information.
New Jersey is among a half-dozen states considering labeling laws for restaurants. Under a recent proposal in the New Jersey Assembly and pending in committee, chain and fast-food restaurants with 20 or more franchises would have to post calorie counts on menu boards -- Big Mac, 590 calories; Starbucks grande café mocha, 400 calories -- and extensive nutrition information on menus, including trans and saturated fats, salt, and cholesterol.
Similar legislation is pending in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, Illinois, and Hawaii, and is expected to come before the US Senate and House of Representatives; no state currently has such a law, Malloy said.
Many chain restaurants, from McDonald's to Subway, make nutrition information available, although it is not always publicly posted.
Nutrition labeling bills may have gained momentum with the recent success of "Supersize Me," an Oscar- nominated documentary exposing the health risks of a fast-food diet, and publicity over a lawsuit blaming McDonald's for the obesity of teenage customers.
To the New Jersey Restaurant Association, such proposals amount to overregulation for an industry already struggling to turn a profit.
"Our position is that the individual who is concerned about obesity should emphasize healthy lifestyle, personal responsibility, regular exercise, and moderation," said Dale Florio, legislative counsel for the state restaurateurs. "Seventy-six percent of all meals are prepared at home. That's where nutrition has to start."
No one on either side of the issue contends that posting calorie and fat content will produce drastic changes in what people eat. But proponents say the information could lead diners to make healthier selections and would provide sorely needed information to people with health problems who need special diets.
"When they purchase foods at restaurants, most people are using their instincts and their desire," said Daniel J. Hoffman, assistant professor of nutritional sciences at Cook College in New Brunswick, N.J. "This is a nice compromise between telling people what they should eat when they're out at a restaurant and giving them information so they have the power to choose.
"It's not going to drive them out of the ice cream store, but it may change what they buy," he said.
Hoffman said the added regulations are especially important because people eat out more often than ever, and people are getting fatter.
"This bill pushes informed choices," he said. "The misconception is that if you are overweight, you are grossly overconsuming. One hundred additional calories each day over a decade will give you 50 pounds."
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2005/02/15/states_eye_label_laws_for_restaurant_food/