There has been a rising problem with obesity for the past thirty years in America. Now the government is trying to make Americans healthier by counting calories.
According to The Wall Street Journal, thousands of businesses that serve food are going to be required to let customers know how many calories they are consuming when they purchase a food item. This includes places such as trains, airplanes, convenience stores and movie theaters. In fact it includes all businesses that are considered to be a chain by health care reform legislation.
Sports stadiums are excluded because they aren"t considered to be a part of a chain — leaving some disparity among entertainment businesses.
The Food and Drug Administration is also considering making caloric information available for salad bars, pizza bars, store bakeries and delicatessens.
While the law is technically in place now, experts think many food outlets will ignore it until penalties are started to be levied against them for not complying.
Health advocates state the law could go a long way in fighting obesity IF customers take the time to read the calorie counts and make healthy choices when it comes to selecting their food. But many feel that making the entertainment and transportation industries include caloric indexes may be going a step too far.
Either way, the fight against obesity and obesity related diseases is a good one. In the end, decreasing obesity in America would drastically help lower health insurance costs and save everyone money.