Prepare To Be Informed
Whether you like it or not, it looks as if we are one step closer in Nashville to being able to see just how unhealthy our food is:
Gov. Phil Bredesen vetoed a bill Wednesday that would have overturned a Metro health board decision to require calorie counts on restaurant menus.
The bill said that only elected bodies could require nutritional information to be posted on restaurant menus. The Metro Board of Health, composed of mayoral appointees, voted in March to require restaurant chains with 15 or more outlets nationwide to put calorie counts next to menu items.
While I'm not entirely convinced about the efficacy of putting caloric information on fast food drive-thru menus, I do think a city has -in the interest of public health- the right to require their restaurants to comply with the rules.
2 comments:
Why does it only cover places that have 15 or more locations? Doesn't this conflict with equal protection under the law? If they want to make people aware, then the law should apply to all places that serve food.
As a registered dietitian, I think requiring this would be an important tool for my patients. My patients could easily distinguish between lower calorie or lower sodium options at their favorite spots. This helps them reach health goals and may contribute to health care savings in the long run.
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