Bill would require chain restaurants to post calorie counts
State Rep. Kelly Flood, D-Lexington
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FRANKFORT — A measure that would require chain restaurants in Kentucky to post the calorie count of their food on menus will likely be heard by a state legislative committee for the first time this year.
Sen. Denise Harper Angel, D-Louisville, has proposed the bill in each of the last two legislative sessions, but it never received a hearing in the Senate’s Health and Welfare Committee.
This year, Rep. Kelly Flood, D-Lexington, said she also will file the Consumer Menu Education and Labeling, or C-MEAL, legislation in the House. Flood said at a news conference Wednesday that she has already been told by House Health and Welfare Chairman Tom Burch, D-Louisville, that the bill will get a hearing.
The bill would make it mandatory for chain restaurants in Kentucky with at least 20 locations nationwide to provide calorie information on menus and menu boards. “Consumers’ right to know is as American as apple pie,” Flood said.
A similar proposal is also contained in the national health insurance overhaul package now before Congress.
Angel said that some recent statistics show Americans spend a little less than half of their household food budget eating at restaurants. The bill would allow people to make educated decisions about the food they purchase, Angel said.
“This bill is not intended to tell people what to eat,” Angel said. “It will only tell people how many calories are in the food that we eat.”
However, the Kentucky Restaurant Association opposes the legislation.
“KRA supports the federal LEAN Act, much of which is included in the health care bill being considered by Congress,” said Stacy Roof, president and CEO of the Kentucky Restaurant Association. “The LEAN Act will set a uniform national standard for restaurants across the nation, rather than a patchwork of differing and confusing laws.
– Beth Musgrave
Filed Under: KY General Assembly • State Government
About the Author: 
Too much legislation, too many laws.
Calorie counts are helpful to many people monitoring their daily intake. However, it would be helpful to many people to include Carbohydrate information as well. As the mother of a young child with Type 1 Diabetes, I find it can be difficult to accurately count Carbohydrates in order to give insulin. Most restaurants offer their website as a resource, but I usually don’t have my computer handy to look there!
nanny state do-gooder well intentioned but ignorant of real impact and consequences, doesn’t trust people to make own decisions, oblivious to real problems facing state, doesn’t realize that people eat what they want and realize when food has a lot of calories, increasing the size of govt by creating more laws to be enforced, unaware that the usda has a huge database of foods and nutrition info that anyone can access, not aware that there are hundreds if not thousands of websites devoted to providing caloire/nuti info. Just plain dumb.
What a total waste. We are getting into a depression and these ding bats are worried about calories. Is there anyone there with a brain?
I’ve got a GREAT idea. Why don’t we just hire more people to be employed by all the restaurants to just smack people upside the head for ordering the wrong food. PUH-LEEZE. I am so sick of this I could puke (up the good food I just ate). What’s the purpose? Does anyone actually believe the majority of people who eat out will pay this ANY attention. No; they WON’T. And you’re only kidding yourselves if you believe differently. I have managed to make my own mistakes in what I eat. Putting calorie, carbs, fats, proteins, etc. content on a menu will just be meaningless additional wording.
the adverage kentuckian is so dumb they would use the count to decide to eat the higher count ..thinking they were getting their moneys worth
what is an “adverage kentuckian” ?
This is the stupidest crap dont these people have anything better to do than meddle in people personal live and private business operations. If you are eating at McD’s and think it is healthy for you you deserve to die from a unhealthy diet it is how we get a better gene pool, its a thing called natural selection. we don’t need the government to regulate all our unhealthy or dangerous activity we need to just let nature take its course and grow stronger as a population from it.
A stupid bill just so they can say they got something done. Calorie information is already available to anyone who actually wants to see it. Why can’t they tackle the real problems this state faces?
i suggest you all take a trip, to the uk med center..there you will see what the free choice of smoking and fatness..that kentuckians LOVE so much COSTS the tax paying citizens of this fair state..we’er #1..we’er #1…we’er #1..go ky go ky
Don’t they already do this?
http://nutrition.mcdonalds.com/nutritionexchange/nutrition_facts.html
=
http://tinyurl.com/c7vuhn
It may be time to let these gals go home in the next election..
rob, why don’t you propose a bill that forces restaurants to only serve Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and spinach and force people to eat only that. or even better, have the state not pay for people’s bad choices (i.e., personal responsibility). I could go for that. why SHOULD it cost the state anything?
can we put you in charge of deciding who should eat what, mommy?
Can we possibly find more ways to waste tax payers dollars I wonder? Are people so dang stupid they require this?
bibby you should read a book or 2 on the promotion of public health..and by the way ya gotta have teath to eat…so most kentuckians just drink their calories….get it.. PROMOTE public health..and mabe get a GED too!!
This is a wonderful idea! A lot of restaurants don’t provide nutritional information on their sites and have refused to send it to you if you email and ask.
It is just as important to provide nutritional information at restaurants as it is on the food we buy from the grocery store. This bill would allow Kentuckians to make informed decisions when they eat out and disclosing the information should not be considered a burden to anyone.
Thank you for recognizing that some people do care about calorie intake and would like to be informed when they go into a restaurant. I suffer from an illness that requires me to eat a low calorie, low fat diet and I can not always eat at home due to my busy schedule and it will be nice to look at a menu and be able to make an educated decision before I order my meal. I can find the calorie counts on-line for most restaurants but I do not care to carry all that information in my laptop bag, nor do I feel that I should have to, the restaurants should already have this information readily available on site.
“Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive.” C.S. Lewis
no waste of money.the information is just setting there already..the chains just won’t publish it..cause many folks would be shocked..salt content also is an issue…anyone who reads or watches tv..knows lots of kentucky folks have no knowledge of the most common public health issues..3rd world fools…but amazing things can be done with public education..GET IT?
As a tax paying citizen I am tired of paying out tax money to pay for health care for those of you who would never use these calorie counts. Fast food is FAT food!!! All of us who work and pay taxes are paying the healthcare premiums for the obese people who dont care what they eat. Whether we do that through our tax monies for medicare and medicaid or we do it through higher premiums for private insurance. That is how health insurance works and that is why it is so expensive bc those of us who are heathy are paying to balance out the costs for those people who choose to overeat, not count calories, dont exercise, do smoke, etc. Face it until the health insurance structure changes to hold people responsible in the same way car insurance premiums are structured then the people with no self control will continue to indulge in calorie laden fast food and desserts while I work my butt off trying to stay healhty.
Concerned American, are we paying for psycotherapy for you?
as a calorie counter with teeth (not “teath”) and a graduate degree, I find the information to be readily available with no problems whatsoever. i am sure there are plenty of books about promoting public health. it is a good idea. Look at all the non-profits that do it. It is NOT the role of GOVT to nannify our country. They should stop once the rest. inspection is done and leave personal responsibility to individuals.
“The issue today is the same as it has been throughout all history, whether man shall be allowed to govern himself or be ruled by a small elite.”
– Thomas Jefferson
As if more pressing issues do not exsist.I do believe that this issue is taken up to look like this politician is going to do something however trivial. Fast food makes FAT people. this idea of saving the world by this information is baloney,if people want to know have them do the research, oh I forgot Ky. folks are not the most educated .GIVE ME A BREAK
Richard I wish you were paying for healthcare for me and my child because unfortunately I pay so much in taxes to help fund public medical programs that I dont have enough left over to buy coverage for myself or my child. I wish you were paying for psycotherapy for me I would get you to also pay for some allergy and asthma medication too?
IF we leave PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY to Americans we should make sure that includes being personally responsible for ALL of their healthcare costs that are a result of poor food choices and lack of exercise! Therefore my taxes would go down and I could afford healthcare coverage for my child and I.
How about hiring more health inspectors?? These resturants are pigpens. The help could use a bath or two and the restrooms are beyond help. I wouldn’t let my dog use the restrooms @ ‘waffle house’. The kitchens are nothing more than petri dishes.
Like it or not, your taxes will never go down. someone has to pay for the growing populus that does not work.
concerned American, you are absolutely correct. Small, unobtrusive govt would be best; imperfect, with problems, but far better for more americans. And freedom for every american to pursue his/her dreams. And more freedom (and responsibility0 to help his fellow man, cuz govt is not trying to be the mother-figure.
“The only good bureaucrat is one with a pistol at his head. Put it in his hand and it’s good-by to the Bill of Rights.”
– H.L. Mencken
We are staring a 2 billion dollar deficit in the face at 67K per day, and this is what they’re concentrating on?
GIVE ME A BREAK!
These two gotta go!
An excellent concept that has already been implemented in far more progressive areas, such as New York City. Case in point, a Chili’s Restaurant “turkey club”, a seemingly prudent eating choice, actually trumps a large bowl of chili in calorie and fat content. Considering the disgusting obesity problem facing Kentucky, any step is an improvement and should be embraced.
Does anyone actually think this will change the eating habits of anybody?
Balance the budget!
we are past the point of a budget balance. We need a total revamp of Gov.let us waste no time with this fat problem, people need to get off their butts and exert energy.might just help KY.
You would absolutely have to have your head in your fannie to believe this would cause obese people to lose weight. Why do some people yearn for the government to take over more and more of our lives? Are they afraid to live on their own?
I agree with golook. Why would we want more govt control?
ATH, have you seen that NYC is now going to dictate salt intake? Why stop with nutrition postings and make everyone eat certain foods or else pay a fine. given our obesity problem this makes sense, no?
As usual, lots of right wing whackos telling everyone how to live their life.
concerned American | Jan 13, 2010 | Reply
Richard I wish you were paying for healthcare for me and my child because unfortunately I pay so much in taxes to help fund public medical programs that I dont have enough left over to buy coverage for myself or my child. I wish you were paying for psycotherapy for me I would get you to also pay for some allergy and asthma medication too?
Get a job, support your children and stop asking for a handout.
Rob must be from Tennessee, at least people from Kentucky, dumb as they may be, can spell “AVERAGE”
I am appalled at the ignorance and narrow-mindedness of the comments below.
It is all about information. No one is forced to make a decision, they just have better means in which to do so.
Restaurants get new menu boards all the time because their options constantly change, so it is not much trouble to add the calorie count for the items.
On average, which has more calories: two jelly doughnuts or a bagel and cream cheese? THE LATTER. But most people would guess the doughnuts. Even when we think we’re making healthy choices, we might not be. Don’t we deserve to know at least a little about what is going through our bodies?
Yes, we are in a depression right now, and Americans are worried about the size of their wallet. So why would you want to continue to empty it by paying the medical bills for people who are filling their bodies with crap?
This bill makes sense. Period.
Why do we not just tax fat food at the same time we post calorie information then we can kill two birds with one stone.
I have a job. I support my child fully!! With no help from ANYONE. Every dime that comes into my house for my mortgage, my car payment, child care, food, and utilities comes out of MY pocket. Which is my POINT exactly. I am doing all this on my own, AND I am watching what I eat, being as active as possible without the luxury of a gym I cannot afford and yet I am PAYING at least $13000 per year in federal and state taxes that the majority of which is handed out to lazy, overeaters who rely on the government for their health coverage. Which is why we are in such a deficit. Take a look at how our federal and state budgets are spent. A HUGE percentage is spent on healthcare. If you break it down even further it is spent on healthcare illnesses that are PREVENTABLE by good nutrition and exercise. But since these people are not held personally responsible for the financial ramifications of their poor lifestyle they continue to overeat and sit all day!!! AT MY expense as a taxpayer!
Many of the folks commenting above seem focused on fast food restaurants, but this bill covers chain restaurants like Applebees, O’Charley’s, Logan’s, TGI Fridays, Ruby Tuesdays, etc. Sit down restaurants are able to provide healthier food options than fast food restaurants, and should provide the nutritional information.
Julia is right on point-this bill isn’t about making obese people lose weight, but it is about education. Educate the population on what is a healthy choice so those that are interested can utilize the information! And as previously mentioned, this is information that the majority of chain restaurants ALREADY have but just don’t provide (even when prompted.) They should not be holding back this information!
To Richard
I say you’re sandbagging us and are only a troll.
My comment was directed at concerned American
I wish everything I was saying was not the truth. Then I would not be so angry for having to sit back and watch people destroy their health with overeating, smoking and not exercising and have my taxes help pay for the financial ramifications of their illnesses. All the while I watch what I eat, exercise enough to keep me healhty and cant afford health coverage without it taking a big chunk of my paycheck. Of course I am bitter over it and will speak out about it when and where ever I can!!!
Government control? Are you kidding me people?? As more than two thirds of the nation is overweight or obese, SOMEONE needs to take control because people clearly can’t do it for themselves!!
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