And just when you were beginning to worry that national health care reform might not effect you have no fear. Nicely tucked away inside the health reform bill in Section 2572 is the mandate that chain restaurants with more than 20 locations display nutritional and caloric information for all of their consumers, says WSJ Health Blog.
Will this slow or prevent the fattening of America, the obesity epidemic we are facing? Only time will tell. But it is a step in the right direction, a relatively low-cost measure on the part of government and business to give consumers the power to make informed eating choices.
Of course, it doesn’t change the fact that for many in low-income neighborhoods the only affordable choice will be the high-calorie, high fat fast food meal. That is another challenge to be tackled entirely. But perhaps with additional information will come some additional exercising of power.
One can only hope.
Summer Johnson, PhD