Calorie Labeling Policy And Its Effects On Consumer Decisions

Increasing the options of fast food restaurants in America gave society different choices of where they can choose to go eat. Some restaurants may be cheaper than others, but what society didn’t realize was the cheaper the restaurant the more calories the food contains. The consumers didn’t seem to realize or have a problem with these cheaper companies until some consumers sued the company for getting them fat. This caused children to sue Mcdonald's the company for making the consumers get fat. For this reason, according to the author David Zinczenko it is a problem that people are not informed on how many calories the food they're eating contains. He has the credibility to be trusted by his audience

Research shows that when such information is given, customers use it to limit the way they eat. This can consume an average loss of calories than they typically did before labeling. This trend poses increased risk, not just in terms of calories, but in terms of unhealthful ingredients such as fat and sodium. According to the passage, "the U.S. government agrees that restaurant meals should be labeled. It is part of the Affordable Care Act of 2010, which requires that standard menu items include information on nutrition 1". This poses that fast food places and restaurants should in fact label information, not only for ones own health but it is required.

If restaurants did not have these nutritional facts people on diets would not know what they are eating. They will assume that it is healthy when it is not. Some pregnant women have to eat a certain type of foods for their baby. Some pregnant women need to eat less or more calories, carbs, vitamins, and fats. At Walmart you are able to see what some items are like they will use the words “ Lite, Lowfat, or Heart Smart.” If restaurants had something similar or, just have the information we would have healthy babies and healthy citizens. In the passage “Label the Meals,” it states that “only 18 percent of people started to go out to eat in the 1977 30 years later the percentage almost doubled.” If resturants did not have these facts posted a

In the article “don’t blame the eater”, David Zinczenko focuses on the reason behind the obesity problem that the modern young generations are facing. According to him, the large chains of fast-food restaurants given their availability around the country and low prices are the ones causing this problem. He brings in his own life experience and tells the story of becoming a 212 pound teenager highlighting that he had to rely on these fast food chains for everyday meal. With a single mother, who worked long hours he had no other alternatives to this like many other American teens. The lack of information about the calorie content of the dishes on these restaurants was one other main concern. Most of these restaurants do not provide enough data about the calorie content of their dishes, and even if they do so its mostly vague and deceiving. To show the gravity of the problem he pulls out a statistics of an increase of 30% in type 2 diabetes resulting in an expense of hundreds of billions of dollars in healthcare. Zinczenko implies that this impact is as serious as smoking. Hence, fast food should have a warning label to raise awareness among the consumers. He addresses these food chains as vulnerable and warns these restaurants that they will find themselves in trouble unless they look out for their consumers. He also adds the further effects these food habits can have in our society.

According to him, “There are no calorie information charts on fast-food packaging, the way there are on grocery items. Advertisements don’t carry warning labels the way tobacco ads do” (Zinczenko 463). Zinczenko that fast-food companies are “vulnerable,” and he urges the industry to protect its consumers (464). Zinczenko is right about the need of nutritional information for fast-food; however, common sense dictates that people should know not to eat at fast-food restaurants every day.

While it is possible that the decisions of many diners may not be influenced by menu-labeling, and while there is financial cost associated with the implementation of nutrition analysis and menu-labeling, I believe the availability of information will empower consumers to make healthier decisions when eating out and I believe that the improvement in health of even a minority is worth the effort.

Historically restaurants were exempt from nutrition labeling due to 1990s policy during the Bush Administration6. The policy of menu labeling emerged with growing concern over the obesity crisis and malnutrition in America. Currently more than one third of US adults are obese3. Obesity related conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and some cancers are the leading causes of preventable deaths in America3. President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law on March 23, 2010 with the provision of section 42059. Section 4205 was aimed at providing increased information about nutrition and calorie content to the public with the goal of helping consumers make informed and healthful dietary choices9. This section was originally due to be enacted in April 20139.

While I agree that fast-food is easily accessible and affordable, it is not to blame for the growing fat problem in the America. These fast-food industries are trying to make money just as any other industry does. When someone is in debt, they do not blame the companies where they spent their money for the problem. Why should obesity be any different? The companies are simply putting the product out there and the consumers are choosing to purchase these products. Like I said in the previous paragraph, Instead of blaming these companies, there should be laws that they have to label their menu, so the consumer can’t point the blame. If the consumer is knowingly eating the foods despite the calorie count, there is no room to lay the

The rising rates of obesity in the 1990s were stimulated by the transformation of the American lifestyle caused by new policies, technological advancements, and changes in activity levels. When President George H. W. Bush signed the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) in November 1990, it gave the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to require nutrition labeling on most foods. The nutritional data this law requires is beneficial for most Americans, but uneducated individuals who do not know how to interpret it are at a disadvantage. Although the FDA mandated nutritional facts to be printed on food labels, it did not require Americans to be educated about basic health issues. This not only allowed them to continue to consume all types of food without knowledge of health implications they can develop, but it also resulted in the absence of nutritional education. The proliferation of nutrition facts across the nation emphasized the importance of eating wholesome foods and developing healthy eating habits.

As Americans, we enjoy big juicy burgers and greasy bacon, but most of us do not know how many calories we are actually putting into our body when going out for a typical night out. The University of Toronto did some research and discovered the average night out had 1,128 calories per meal. That’s about 56 percent of the average daily diet” (Neporent). Nutrition labeling will become required in December 2016 which means all chains who have 20 or more locations will have to publish all calorie requirements. There are three requirements for a food establishment to follow. The first requirement is to make calorie information clear and visible on menu and menu boards. The labeling of

However, elementary and secondary school cafeterias as well as hospitals are exempt from the legislation as well as federally operated trains and planes (9). In addition to the number of calories, food service providers are also required to include a statement acknowledging the individualized caloric needs that depend on age, gender, and physical activity levels of consumers. As such, this is an attempt to allow people to be further informed about their eating habits (4). According to The Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, policy goals included raising public awareness about the caloric content of foods while encouraging individuals to make healthier and more informed food choices when dining out, as well as to encourage the food industry to reconsider the high caloric food items on their menus

From all sources of information in this assignment, whether it be information collected myself, or papers read from more official studies, it is apparent that when presented with information about the content or calorie counts of food, people will attempt to eat healthier. The affordable care act should definitely incorporate the requirement of nutrition facts in menus.

Perhaps the most beneficial of these policies are labeling laws. Some may think they are unnecessary, but nutritional labels are incredibly useful to those desiring a healthful lifestyle. Without them, people blindly select harmful foods. Studies have shown that almost 50% of people that eat at fast food restaurants use the nutritional information given to them, proving that this material can be extremely useful in regulating unhealthy foods. This information gives consumers the opportunity to select a rewarding option; one that both complements their busy schedules and helps their bodies function to the fullest extent. It is recommended that people consume between 1,000 and 2,000 calories daily; a delicate balance that requires constant attentiveness. If customers are not given the tools to be vigilant, then caloric intake will sky-rocket. Many consumers are blind to the fact that a single whopper contains 630 calories. That is about one third of the suggested daily intake. Once enlightened with facts such as these, some may wish to adopt better habits, and will have the resources to begin that transformation. Not only is regulation informing the public on how to make healthy decisions, but it also provides alternative, more nourishing options. One example of this would be the efforts of New York City. During the summer of 2008, they made a calculated decision to omit trans fat from their

In the article, Don’t Blame the Eater, David Zinczenko focuses on the reason behind the obesity problem that the young generation is facing. According to him, the large chains of fast-food restaurants, given their availability around the country, and low prices are the ones causing this problem. He brings in his own life experience, and tells the story of transforming into a 212 pounds teenager to highlight that he had to rely on these fast food chains for everyday meal. With a single mother working long hours, he had no other alternatives to this like many American teens. The lack of information about the calorie content of the dishes on these restaurants was an added concern. Most of these restaurants do not provide enough data about the calorie content of their dishes, and even if they do so its mostly vague and deceiving. To show the gravity of the problem he pulls out a statistics of an increase in type 2 diabetes, declaring it as a cause for expenses billions of dollars in healthcare. Zinczenko implies that this impact is as serious as smoking; fast food should have a warning label to raise awareness among the consumers. He addresses these food chains as vulnerable and alerts them that they will find themselves in trouble unless they look out for their purchasers. He added the detrimental effects these food habits can have in our society at some point.

Fast food restaurants are commonly associated with the topic of obesity. It is not uncommon for these restaurants to be blamed for the growing obesity rate in America, but how exactly do they contribute? Simply, obesity occurs when a