Fast food has a strong correlation with obesity. As the profit margin of the top fast food restaurants has increased so has the waistline of the vast majority of Americans. The number of meals consumed outside of the home has increased from 18% to 32%...nearly doubling within the past 20 years. Adversely, meals consumed outside of the how are high in calories and are served in larger portions. Because of that, Americans especially children are faced with epidemic numbers of obesity.
While there is no way to deter people from consuming fast food on the go, there are ways to assuage the current situation. Menu labeling requires that restaurants post caloric content on menus and menu boards at the point of sale; essentially taking the guessing out of eating. Some cities are blazing trails by making strides toward the battle of the bulge. For example, the city of San Francisco has banned marketing of toys in kid’s meals that are not healthy. In order for a restaurant to promote meals it must contain a fruit AND a vegetable and milk or water.
http://health.msn.com/fitness/video.aspx?vid=016e8292-e279-4064-a1f5-b3e2625a485f
The wave is catching on and people seem to appreciate this information. The Center of Science in Public Interest surveyed over 5,000 people nationwide about menu labeling. The survey shows that there is overwhelming support for menu labeling. Check out the survey below.
SUMMARY OF POLLS ON NUTRITION LABELING IN RESTAURANTS
Poll
Fast-food and other chain restaurants should list nutritional information, such as calories, fat, sugar or salt content on menus and menu boards: 78%
Restaurants should make nutrition information
available for all menu items: 83%
Menu boards should list nutrition information for all items served: 74%
Restaurants should be required to provide nutrition
information, including calories, on menus: 67%
Support requiring fast-food and chain restaurants to
display calorie content on menus or menu boards: 82%
Support requiring fast-food and chain restaurants to
post nutrition information on their menus
84%
http://www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/census_menu_board_question.pdf (link to full survey)
While there is no way to deter people from consuming fast food on the go, there are ways to assuage the current situation. Menu labeling requires that restaurants post caloric content on menus and menu boards at the point of sale; essentially taking the guessing out of eating. Some cities are blazing trails by making strides toward the battle of the bulge. For example, the city of San Francisco has banned marketing of toys in kid’s meals that are not healthy. In order for a restaurant to promote meals it must contain a fruit AND a vegetable and milk or water.
http://health.msn.com/fitness/video.aspx?vid=016e8292-e279-4064-a1f5-b3e2625a485f
The wave is catching on and people seem to appreciate this information. The Center of Science in Public Interest surveyed over 5,000 people nationwide about menu labeling. The survey shows that there is overwhelming support for menu labeling. Check out the survey below.
SUMMARY OF POLLS ON NUTRITION LABELING IN RESTAURANTS
Poll
Fast-food and other chain restaurants should list nutritional information, such as calories, fat, sugar or salt content on menus and menu boards: 78%
Restaurants should make nutrition information
available for all menu items: 83%
Menu boards should list nutrition information for all items served: 74%
Restaurants should be required to provide nutrition
information, including calories, on menus: 67%
Support requiring fast-food and chain restaurants to
display calorie content on menus or menu boards: 82%
Support requiring fast-food and chain restaurants to
post nutrition information on their menus
84%
http://www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/census_menu_board_question.pdf (link to full survey)
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