This is an argumentative paper written about why calorie content should be posted on restaurant menus.
Christina Arcidiacono
ENG 104
October 2011
Calorie Content on Menus: Creating a Healthier America
In America, “about two-thirds of adults and one-third of children between the ages of two and 19 are overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control” (Hunter, 2010). Therefore, more than half of the adults in the United States suffer from this epidemic. Authorities around the country have been investigating the relationship between health risks and the eating habits of Americans.
A report conducted by the Pew Research Center (2006) concluded that about “one third of Americans eat out twice a week or even more.” It is evident that more families and people are eating meals out and away from home. When eating out more, we tend to consume more calories than we are aware. Overeating and lack of knowledge of one’s daily consumption can lead to gaining weight, and in some situations even obesity. There has been a dramatic increase in obesity over the years, resulting in more than half of Americans being classified under this particular category. Obesity can be defined as “a condition characterized by the excessive accumulation and storage of fat in the body” (Webster, 2011). “Obesity has also been linked to a number of health risks, such as heart disease” (Webster, 2011). It is clear that action needs to be taken and enforced in order to help save lives of people across the country.
Recently, legislation around the country has been deciding whether or not to require restaurants to post calorie content on menus and menu boards where it is seen at point of order. In March of 2008, New York City created the Health Code Section 81.5. This section “requires covered food service establishments (FSEs) that hold New York City Health Department permits to post calorie information prominently on menu boards and menus”(NYC Government, 2008). The federal government has yet to make any mandated requirements nationwide. With the potential requirements being so controversial, it makes it a very hard decision for officials to make regarding regulations. Many believe that posting calories allows us to make better informed food choices. However, others tend to argue that it will be a way for officials to manipulate and attempt to control what we eat. Nonetheless, recent research has been provided that refutes this argument.
With such a vast increase in obesity nationwide, there is obvious reason for action to be taken.
Given that being overweight can lead to fatal health complications, such as obesity, diabetes, and heart diseases, people need to become more informed and educated on food consumption and health. Providing the calorie content within menus and on menu boards will supply the necessary information to aid in the process of saving lives across America.
By eating meals away from home, we tend to lose track or become unaware of the calories that we are ingesting into our bodies. In conjunction with other factors such as lack of exercise and eating unhealthy foods, more people are becoming overweight and being categorized as obese. Yet, factors like lack of exercise are difficult to change due to hectic lifestyles and schedules. Posting calorie content within the menus at restaurants will enable people to become better educated and informed about what they consume when eating a meal away from home. By providing the calories, people do not have to change daily routines just to become healthier. People will be enables to make better decisions when it comes to food consumption when given calorie content. They can still live their life as they did previously and eat out when they want. By having health information provided, consumers would be more conscious of what they’re eating when they eat out. The calorie content is not there to control decisions of the consumers, but rather to give them the power of knowledge. Nonetheless, the manner in which consumers choose to use the information provided within the menus is completely in their own hands.
By being alerted to the calorie content of each item within the menus at restaurants, consumers are able to see what they can possibly consume based on their order choice. When people go out to eat, they will be able to keep track of the number of calories that they consume on a daily bases. This is important when eating out because most of the time people underestimate how many calories they ingest at one given meal. Some may be under the mindset that their order decision was healthy and low in calories, when in reality the calories are more than they had perceived. It is vital for all consumers to pay attention to and be educated about because “just an extra 100 calories every day can add up to 10 pounds a year” (NYC Government, 2008). If restaurants provide calories on menus and menu boards, people can narrow down the calories they consume for the remainder of the day. Without this source of information, it becomes easy for the consumer to over eat, and therefore possibly face the consequences of weight gain. The New York Government (2008) stated: “Extra pounds can lead to obesity and diabetes, which are two major health problems on the rise in New York City, as well as heart disease.” By having the knowledge that they deserve, consumers can prevent themselves from becoming another statistic suffering from terminal diseases. Customers have the right to know what consume and the power of that knowledge can benefit their personal health, and even save their life.
Some people may think that the “Quesadilla Burger from Applebee’s” is their favorite meal and since it’s just a burger, it can’t be too bad for them (Gregory, 2009). However, if the calorie content was posted on the menu, the consumer would learn that this powerful burger is a whopping “1,440 calories” (Gregory, 2009). Based on the recommended average 2,000 calorie per-day diet, 1,440 calories is 72% of one’s daily value. Therefore, if the consumer had not eaten much that day and if the consumption of this meal would keep them within their daily calorie value, then it would not be a bad choice. The supply of calorie content information can prevent overeating while also enabling healthy order choices.
Giving the consumer the power of knowledge is important to do in order to decrease the risk of obesity and heart disease in the United States. People will be enabled to make informed decisions that can benefit their personal health. “The new requirement would allow customers to see calorie information at the point of purchase, where it can help them make more informed choices” (NYC Government, 2008). Giving the people this information enables them to take control of their choices and therefore their own health. Whether or not the customers choose to use this information to benefit their health or not is completely up to them. What matters is that the information would be available whether they found it valuable or not.
In contrast, some people still may argue that the mandatory supply of this information is an attempt to control how consumers eat and manipulate the choices that they make. However, the regulation would not be telling people which food choices to make, but rather educate them on the choices that they make. As customers, they deserve the right to know what they put into their own body. Whether consumers choose to use this information to make more informed eating decisions is not regulated. Consequently, the policy is not a form of manipulation or control; it is a form of knowledge. If a family decides to go out for a pizza, they are not going to change their mind when they get to the restaurant and order a salad. They went to the restaurant for pizza and that’s what they are likely to order. “In New York City when the law was passed in 2008, the intent was that when New Yorkers purchased foods, they would at least be aware of the choices they were making” (Sherman, 2011). The regulation is not about manipulation, but rather about educating consumers. The information will not control customers’ decisions, but rather be available in case consumers decide they want to choose a meal that may be a better choice for their personal consumption.
“The New York State Restaurant Association argued that the First Amendment was infringed upon when the government threw its support behind a law that posted calorie counts” (Sherman, 2011). However, Gregory (2009) argues that “if restaurants are sincere about health, they need to put calorie counts on the menu, straight in the customer’s sight lines.” Restaurants should not have anything to hide and they should not want to be the reason why Americans are suffering from a rise in obesity rates and other serious diseases. Customers are worthy of being provided with the knowledge about what they eat when they go out for a meal.
Research has shown in New York City the regulations are already helping in healthier decision making. “A survey conducted by Technomic, a food-industry consultancy, concluded that 82% of New York City residents said the new highly visible nutrition information has affected ordering. Of those people, 71% said they sought out lower-calorie options” (Gregory, 2009). These results are evidence that providing calorie information at point of order enables consumers to make better informed decisions on what they choose to eat. As more and more people make healthier decisions, they prevent themselves from overeating. Not overeating can also lead to benefits such as a decrease in obesity, a decrease in over consumption, and a decrease in diabetes, heart disease, and other health risks. If the laws in New York City are already showing progress in healthier eating habits, federal law should consider having calorie content postings become a nationwide requirement. As more people start eating healthier, the more people that they can influence others. The power of knowledge provides consumers with the facts that they need in order to make such decisions and inevitably creates a healthier community.
If Americans are serious about saving lives and allowing consumers to become more informed and healthy, officials will make regulations that provide the information within restaurants that is necessary to do so. Customers deserve the power of the knowledge. At the end of the day, one has the ability to make the decisions for him or herself as to what they put into their own body. The objective of providing calorie content on menus and on restaurant boards is not to control or manipulate how people eat, but rather provide them with vital information. This vital information would allow consumers to keep track of their daily calorie intake and prevent an increase in overeating. Preventing an increase in overeating through information will also contribute to a decrease in common severe health risks such as obesity and heart disease. The information will also allow for a more informed and conscious community that maintains healthier eating habits. Healthier eating habits can then be passed on from generation to generation. Forming a healthier, informed America and saving lives is the main focus of this well needed requirement.
References
Gregory, S. (2009, June 29). Fast food: Would you like 1,000 calories with that?. TIME Magazine Health, Retrieved from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1905509,00.html
Hunter, A. (2010, August 30). FDA tells restaurants to post calorie counts: Will we make better food choices?. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20015019-10391704.html
NYC Government. NYC Health, Department of Health & Mental Hygiene. (2008). The requirement to post calorie counts on menus in new york city food service establishments (Section 81.50). Retrieved from www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/cdp/calorie_compliance_guide.pdf
Pew Research Center. (2006). Eating more; Enjoying less.Pew Research Center Publications , Retrieved from http://pewresearch.org/pubs/309/eating-more-enjoying-less
Sherman, B. (2011, October 2). Calorie count controversy leaves restaurants sour. Washington Square News. Retrieved from http://nyunews.com/opinion/2011/10/03/03sherman/
Webster, M. (2011). Obesity. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obesity
ENG 104
October 2011
Calorie Content on Menus: Creating a Healthier America
In America, “about two-thirds of adults and one-third of children between the ages of two and 19 are overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control” (Hunter, 2010). Therefore, more than half of the adults in the United States suffer from this epidemic. Authorities around the country have been investigating the relationship between health risks and the eating habits of Americans.
A report conducted by the Pew Research Center (2006) concluded that about “one third of Americans eat out twice a week or even more.” It is evident that more families and people are eating meals out and away from home. When eating out more, we tend to consume more calories than we are aware. Overeating and lack of knowledge of one’s daily consumption can lead to gaining weight, and in some situations even obesity. There has been a dramatic increase in obesity over the years, resulting in more than half of Americans being classified under this particular category. Obesity can be defined as “a condition characterized by the excessive accumulation and storage of fat in the body” (Webster, 2011). “Obesity has also been linked to a number of health risks, such as heart disease” (Webster, 2011). It is clear that action needs to be taken and enforced in order to help save lives of people across the country.
Recently, legislation around the country has been deciding whether or not to require restaurants to post calorie content on menus and menu boards where it is seen at point of order. In March of 2008, New York City created the Health Code Section 81.5. This section “requires covered food service establishments (FSEs) that hold New York City Health Department permits to post calorie information prominently on menu boards and menus”(NYC Government, 2008). The federal government has yet to make any mandated requirements nationwide. With the potential requirements being so controversial, it makes it a very hard decision for officials to make regarding regulations. Many believe that posting calories allows us to make better informed food choices. However, others tend to argue that it will be a way for officials to manipulate and attempt to control what we eat. Nonetheless, recent research has been provided that refutes this argument.
With such a vast increase in obesity nationwide, there is obvious reason for action to be taken.
Given that being overweight can lead to fatal health complications, such as obesity, diabetes, and heart diseases, people need to become more informed and educated on food consumption and health. Providing the calorie content within menus and on menu boards will supply the necessary information to aid in the process of saving lives across America.
By eating meals away from home, we tend to lose track or become unaware of the calories that we are ingesting into our bodies. In conjunction with other factors such as lack of exercise and eating unhealthy foods, more people are becoming overweight and being categorized as obese. Yet, factors like lack of exercise are difficult to change due to hectic lifestyles and schedules. Posting calorie content within the menus at restaurants will enable people to become better educated and informed about what they consume when eating a meal away from home. By providing the calories, people do not have to change daily routines just to become healthier. People will be enables to make better decisions when it comes to food consumption when given calorie content. They can still live their life as they did previously and eat out when they want. By having health information provided, consumers would be more conscious of what they’re eating when they eat out. The calorie content is not there to control decisions of the consumers, but rather to give them the power of knowledge. Nonetheless, the manner in which consumers choose to use the information provided within the menus is completely in their own hands.
By being alerted to the calorie content of each item within the menus at restaurants, consumers are able to see what they can possibly consume based on their order choice. When people go out to eat, they will be able to keep track of the number of calories that they consume on a daily bases. This is important when eating out because most of the time people underestimate how many calories they ingest at one given meal. Some may be under the mindset that their order decision was healthy and low in calories, when in reality the calories are more than they had perceived. It is vital for all consumers to pay attention to and be educated about because “just an extra 100 calories every day can add up to 10 pounds a year” (NYC Government, 2008). If restaurants provide calories on menus and menu boards, people can narrow down the calories they consume for the remainder of the day. Without this source of information, it becomes easy for the consumer to over eat, and therefore possibly face the consequences of weight gain. The New York Government (2008) stated: “Extra pounds can lead to obesity and diabetes, which are two major health problems on the rise in New York City, as well as heart disease.” By having the knowledge that they deserve, consumers can prevent themselves from becoming another statistic suffering from terminal diseases. Customers have the right to know what consume and the power of that knowledge can benefit their personal health, and even save their life.
Some people may think that the “Quesadilla Burger from Applebee’s” is their favorite meal and since it’s just a burger, it can’t be too bad for them (Gregory, 2009). However, if the calorie content was posted on the menu, the consumer would learn that this powerful burger is a whopping “1,440 calories” (Gregory, 2009). Based on the recommended average 2,000 calorie per-day diet, 1,440 calories is 72% of one’s daily value. Therefore, if the consumer had not eaten much that day and if the consumption of this meal would keep them within their daily calorie value, then it would not be a bad choice. The supply of calorie content information can prevent overeating while also enabling healthy order choices.
Giving the consumer the power of knowledge is important to do in order to decrease the risk of obesity and heart disease in the United States. People will be enabled to make informed decisions that can benefit their personal health. “The new requirement would allow customers to see calorie information at the point of purchase, where it can help them make more informed choices” (NYC Government, 2008). Giving the people this information enables them to take control of their choices and therefore their own health. Whether or not the customers choose to use this information to benefit their health or not is completely up to them. What matters is that the information would be available whether they found it valuable or not.
In contrast, some people still may argue that the mandatory supply of this information is an attempt to control how consumers eat and manipulate the choices that they make. However, the regulation would not be telling people which food choices to make, but rather educate them on the choices that they make. As customers, they deserve the right to know what they put into their own body. Whether consumers choose to use this information to make more informed eating decisions is not regulated. Consequently, the policy is not a form of manipulation or control; it is a form of knowledge. If a family decides to go out for a pizza, they are not going to change their mind when they get to the restaurant and order a salad. They went to the restaurant for pizza and that’s what they are likely to order. “In New York City when the law was passed in 2008, the intent was that when New Yorkers purchased foods, they would at least be aware of the choices they were making” (Sherman, 2011). The regulation is not about manipulation, but rather about educating consumers. The information will not control customers’ decisions, but rather be available in case consumers decide they want to choose a meal that may be a better choice for their personal consumption.
“The New York State Restaurant Association argued that the First Amendment was infringed upon when the government threw its support behind a law that posted calorie counts” (Sherman, 2011). However, Gregory (2009) argues that “if restaurants are sincere about health, they need to put calorie counts on the menu, straight in the customer’s sight lines.” Restaurants should not have anything to hide and they should not want to be the reason why Americans are suffering from a rise in obesity rates and other serious diseases. Customers are worthy of being provided with the knowledge about what they eat when they go out for a meal.
Research has shown in New York City the regulations are already helping in healthier decision making. “A survey conducted by Technomic, a food-industry consultancy, concluded that 82% of New York City residents said the new highly visible nutrition information has affected ordering. Of those people, 71% said they sought out lower-calorie options” (Gregory, 2009). These results are evidence that providing calorie information at point of order enables consumers to make better informed decisions on what they choose to eat. As more and more people make healthier decisions, they prevent themselves from overeating. Not overeating can also lead to benefits such as a decrease in obesity, a decrease in over consumption, and a decrease in diabetes, heart disease, and other health risks. If the laws in New York City are already showing progress in healthier eating habits, federal law should consider having calorie content postings become a nationwide requirement. As more people start eating healthier, the more people that they can influence others. The power of knowledge provides consumers with the facts that they need in order to make such decisions and inevitably creates a healthier community.
If Americans are serious about saving lives and allowing consumers to become more informed and healthy, officials will make regulations that provide the information within restaurants that is necessary to do so. Customers deserve the power of the knowledge. At the end of the day, one has the ability to make the decisions for him or herself as to what they put into their own body. The objective of providing calorie content on menus and on restaurant boards is not to control or manipulate how people eat, but rather provide them with vital information. This vital information would allow consumers to keep track of their daily calorie intake and prevent an increase in overeating. Preventing an increase in overeating through information will also contribute to a decrease in common severe health risks such as obesity and heart disease. The information will also allow for a more informed and conscious community that maintains healthier eating habits. Healthier eating habits can then be passed on from generation to generation. Forming a healthier, informed America and saving lives is the main focus of this well needed requirement.
References
Gregory, S. (2009, June 29). Fast food: Would you like 1,000 calories with that?. TIME Magazine Health, Retrieved from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1905509,00.html
Hunter, A. (2010, August 30). FDA tells restaurants to post calorie counts: Will we make better food choices?. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20015019-10391704.html
NYC Government. NYC Health, Department of Health & Mental Hygiene. (2008). The requirement to post calorie counts on menus in new york city food service establishments (Section 81.50). Retrieved from www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/cdp/calorie_compliance_guide.pdf
Pew Research Center. (2006). Eating more; Enjoying less.Pew Research Center Publications , Retrieved from http://pewresearch.org/pubs/309/eating-more-enjoying-less
Sherman, B. (2011, October 2). Calorie count controversy leaves restaurants sour. Washington Square News. Retrieved from http://nyunews.com/opinion/2011/10/03/03sherman/
Webster, M. (2011). Obesity. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obesity