NYC Still Leads The Way For Healthy Living: Now Requiring Calorie Counts In Fast-Food

NYC Still Leads The Way For Healthy Living: Now Requiring Calorie Counts In Fast-Food in General Healthcare

At the Coverage Corner, we’ve been trying to follow any trends that are helping people around the country live healthier. And one place, in particular, we keep coming back to time and time again — New York City.

New York City has been a model for healthy living. They were one of the first cities to ban smoking in public places such as bars and restaurants — and the health results are real.

The Big Apple was also the first city in the country to prohibit restaurants, delis, and bakeries from using oils with trans fat in their foods. They’ve led the way for other cities to follow suit. Boston health officials recently approved the move to ban trans fats, as well.

Now, they’re taking one step further in helping New Yorkers to make healthier decisions. The city’s Board of Health approved a law requiring all fast-food restaurants to post the calorie counts of their foods on the menus. 

The law goes into effect on March 31, reported the Washington Post.

“It’s going to get a lot easier to make informed choices at New York City’s chain restaurants this spring,” said Margo Wootan, the nutrition policy director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Dr. Thomas Frieden, New York’s Health Commissioner, praised the new law. He said it would help the fight against obesity by giving people the information they need to eat healthier. Dr. Frieden also pointed out that two-thirds of adults and half the children living in New York City are obese or overweight.

Critics of the law think it isn’t necessary to require a calorie count. They contend people should already know which foods are healthy and unhealthy.

The New York Restaurant Association is yet to decide if they will challenge the law. They argue that posting calories won’t stop people from eating fast food.

“[Requiring a calorie count has] been done in supermarkets for 13 years. Has it worked? Has obesity declined?” asked one Restaurant Association spokesperson.

Even though that’s a valid question, it’s hard to think showing the nutritional facts of fast foods would do consumers any harm.

So how many calories are in fast foods? Here’s the calorie count of some popular items:

McDonald’s Big Mac
540 Total calories
60 Calories from fat

Burger King Whopper
560 Total calories
220 Calories from fat

Wendy’s Double Cheeseburger with everything
700 Total calories
40 Calories from fat

Taco Bell Beef Burrito Supreme
420 Total Calories
150 Calories from fat

That doesn’t mean you should never eat at a fast food restaurant. But there are ways to eat healthier, according to the Mayo Clinic. All you really need to do is make healthier choices and eat smaller portions.

For New York City, health officials are optimistic the new law will benefit consumers and help them make more informed decisions.

“We expect that many more cities, counties and states will require menu labeling once they see how easy it is for these chains to list calories on menus,” said Wootan.

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