Great article! I wish they would implement this all over the country. Then, I think more restaurants would be motivated to create actual lighter menues. Also, when you buy items at restaurants, they often give you more calories due to human erro r in portion control. I can't believe people would rather get the menu without the calories though! Isn't that so funny/strange? Denial is a great place to be, I suppose!
This was my favorite part...
“We’re concerned,” acknowledged Eric Hagy, proprietor of Outback Steakhouse on Third Avenue in Manhattan. “I don’t know what effect it will have, but it will bring people’s attention to certain items that are high in calories, like the Bloomin’ Onion appetizer. It has over 2,000 calories, but it’s meant to be shared between two or three people.”
It is an appetizer.. for 2-3 people, which means it is an appetizer for 700-1000 calories. I've never had it so I don't know how filling it is, but I can't imagine it will stop someone from going onto the calorie laden dinner.
That’s what Fowler, the woman who was dining recently with her friends at T.G.I. Friday's, decided to do. [switch menus]
“I’m so upset,” she said, noting some entrees — like the Jack Daniels ribs and shrimp dinner — contain almost 2,000 calories, and the desserts were more of the same (the brownie obsession is 1,500 calories). “I wish they wouldn’t have done this.”
But then Fowler noticed that the waiter had handed her friend an old menu, which didn’t have calorie counts on it.
“You got a menu without anything on it?” she asked her friend. “Can I have yours?”
People would rather eat unhealthily and be ignorant than actually think about what they're eating and maybe pressure the restaurants to provide other, healthy options.
Eh, I live in NYC and this mandate doesn't include most places -- non-chain restaurants aren't subject to this requirement and since most restaurants in NYC aren't chains, this new law is kind of pointless.
Also, generally, our mayor (Mike Bloomberg) is SUCH a Mother Hen about everything, at least in my opinion, that this actually kind of annoys me. It's right up there with no smoking in bars, no horn-honking, getting tickets for not wearing a seatbelt, etc etc. other examples I can't think of. I understand why this all seems appealing, the mayor wanting to promote health and safety and stuff, but he's not our mom. Next we're going to sent to our rooms without dinner for crossing against the light...
I can't wait for the information to get out...there will be benefits for those of us who live in other states, for sure. When one restaurant in a chain in NYC posts its calorie information, it'll eventually end up online for everyone to see! So I can go to the same restaurant down here in Texas and, in theory, know what I'm getting even though it's not posted here....yay!
People would rather eat unhealthily and be ignorant than actually think about what they're eating and maybe pressure the restaurants to provide other, healthy options.
Kind of proves that old saying "ignorance is bliss" doesn't it.
And some people (raises hand ) would rather not know how many calories they are getting so they can whine "I don't eat that much - all I had all day was one corn muffin and a Bloomin' Onion" Read: There must be something wrong, it can't be MY fault I got this fat.
Yes, I now firmly believe that I am the only one who is ultimately responsible/accountable for every bite I put in my mouth and it's up to me to be as informed as possible but it took me 40 years of frustration to figure out how to go about gathering the right information. If I had had calorie content in front of my face all that time I can honestly say there probably would have been fewer drive through meals in my dieting career (I really thought that, if it was my only meal, a 3lb mega burrito from Del Taco wasn't eating too much. ) At the risk of sounding a little like a conspiracy theorist I've felt for a long time that fast food/chain restaurant outlets and food processing companies have been getting away with what boils down to false advertising - billing things as "healthy choices" or "fat free" - even some things I've seen stamped with a big old "organic" on the package but contains HFC I'm thrilled to see this trend and wish it would become federal law.
One reason I think it is good is it will have a trickle down effect. If restaurants can no longer sell their 2000 calorie items, then they will have to make their food items healthier. Since they often have the same foods at other restaurants, then other restaurants in different states will then hopefully get the healthier menu.
Thanks for the link Jay. That's fascinating to read. I thought it was funny that the lady at the end of the article wanted an old menu without the calorie count. That sounds like the old me, living in the land of denial.
I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to be able to walk into a restaurant or bakery and see the calorie count right there under the food by the price.
Whose going to report these infractions ?
Will there be a Calorie Court if you don't pay the fines ?
Sorry, couldn't resist...
I actually think this is great ! and shows a lot of progress... If NYC can do it successfully it will get a lot of attention...
It fascinates me how shocked people are. I guess your average person really has no idea how many calories are in foods -- but a lot of them don't want to know! That's what's most surprising of all. It like, "if I can't see the numbers, it's not really 2000 calories." It's hilarious that the restaurants are all running out of the lowest calorie items.
Calorie information posted by law in NYC
) would rather not know how many calories they are getting so they can whine "I don't eat that much - all I had all day was one corn muffin and a Bloomin' Onion" Read: There must be something wrong, it can't be MY fault I got this fat.
) At the risk of sounding a little like a conspiracy theorist I've felt for a long time that fast food/chain restaurant outlets and food processing companies have been getting away with what boils down to false advertising - billing things as "healthy choices" or "fat free" - even some things I've seen stamped with a big old "organic" on the package but contains HFC 
I'm thrilled to see this trend and wish it would become federal law.
