Next year, New York s required calorie count policy for chain restaurants is set to go into effect nationwide under the country s new healthcare legislation. The Wall Street Journal reports that while supporters believe the new policies are necessary to overcome the nation s high obesity rates, opponents question whether the government should have such regulatory power over private businesses.
ACSH staffer opinions towards the topic are mixed. Associate Director Cheryl Martin says, I think calorie counts help me decide on food choices, and I am glad they re available. Stier disagrees. The issue is that there's no evidence that it works. In fact, a study of calorie counts in inner cities where obesity is a most serious concern indicated that people will eat MORE calories when there are calorie counts, perhaps thinking it is a better bang for the buck.