Legal Calories

Interesting news broke this week about five restaurants in Manhattan cited for not posting  the calorie count of their dishes as required by a recent city law.  The regulation, which is supposed to apply  to all NYC restaurants with five national outlets and more, stipulates that such  counts  be provided and even though the Restaurant Association fought the rule, the courts finally said it was a go. 

How good an idea is this posting anyhow and what would it accomplish? My first reaction to it was favorable, that it was a good idea because obesity is such a problem . But now I'm now I'm not so sure. Would someone avoid buying a Big Mac for instance when he saw that the sandwich would provide a day's worth of calories or more? Or would he simply not pay attention  and order it anyway?  (Maybe he'd even order a second Big Mac, who knows?)

Surely the information wouldn't come as a shock. Any literate  person who is alive in 21st century
America knows that most fast food is not diet food. Will a label help reinforce the knowledge? We all have to take  responsibility for our actions  in the end. Another thing: How would we like a such a regulation here in Western New York?

Comments

[Obi-Wandreas]

The primary problem with the law is the burden it places on restaurant owners to calculate the caloric content of all their food.

Precisely how much of each item goes into the food? Is all of it measured? How many calories was in that half an onion I chopped? Do they need to precisely weigh the burger they just put together? How about specials? If they want to try out a new dish, are they not allowed to serve it to anyone until they precisely calculate how many calories are in it? Do their local vegetable suppliers have to run all of their produce through a calorimeter before selling it?

People who operate businesses in New York State have more than their share of burdens and red tape already. If I didn't love this area so much, I would've kissed this state goodbye years ago.

[Don H]

Every can, package, and frozen dinner made in this country must have nutritional information posted on the package per serving including caloric and sodium calculations. Why should restaurants be exempt? If it's a health benefit to provide this information, and a threat to health to withhold it, it should be provided. I think more and more restaurants will do so voluntarily and that competition will force others to follow. It might be best to hold off on mandatory laws and allow time for public pressure to build. If that fails, pass the laws.

[warren]

Here's one way of getting around it:

"This menu item could potentially have as much as 60 bazillion calories per serving. We can't afford to have it examined down to the exact calorie, so we'd just like to warn you that you just may explode upon consuming this dish. If you have an ounce of common sense, you'll realize that you're eating here to enjoy the food, not adhere to some obsessive-compulsive notion of making you healthier by forgoing culinary pleasure. Bon appetit."

This, of course, is from someone who, in the interest of eating healthy, tried to substitute 2% milk with a certain brand of soymilk, only to discover that upon taking a giant slug of said soymilk that pouring Maalox on one's Cheerios would have produced the same taste sensation...

[warren]

Here's one way of getting around it:

"This menu item could potentially have as much as 60 bazillion calories per serving. We can't afford to have it examined down to the exact calorie, so we'd just like to warn you that you just may explode upon consuming this dish. If you have an ounce of common sense, you'll realize that you're eating here to enjoy the food, not adhere to some obsessive-compulsive notion of making you healthier by forgoing culinary pleasure. Bon appetit."

This, of course, is from someone who, in the interest of eating healthy, tried to substitute 2% milk with a certain brand of soymilk, only to discover that upon taking a giant slug of said soymilk that pouring Maalox on one's Cheerios would have produced the same taste sensation...

[bobbycat]

I can't get enough of the nanny state. Sure, let's fine restaurants who don't list calories. The first offense should be a warning, then the fine. But the third offense should be an arrest by the State Calorie Police (the SCP). In fact, let's do the same for food columns and restaurant reviews. Hey, if we must list calories on food packages and at restaurants, why not newspaper reviews? First a warning, then a fine and finally an arrest.

Yeah, that sounds swell. And who's left to complain? I mean, all the smart people have left New York.

[Nick]

"Do they need to precisely weigh the burger they just put together? How about specials? If they want to try out a new dish, are they not allowed to serve it to anyone until they precisely calculate how many calories are in it?"

Don't forget that this law is for restaurants with five or more locations. Chains. Not the greasy spoon down the corner that's owned and operated by the same guy.
I believe the lawmakers are aware of the hardship that would be placed on small business if they were forced to pay for analysis of all their menu items.

[Mike]

If you can afford to have 5 stores open, you can spend a day calculating the calorie content. You can hire a nutritionist and have it done in a couple days for about $200.

ooooooo.....expensive