Day by Day Nutrition

Senator Denise Harper Angel (SB86) and Representative Kelly Flood (HB246) filed companion bills on January 13 that would require chain restaurants in Kentucky with at least 20 locations to provide calorie information on menus, menu boards and drive-through menu boards for all standard menu items at point of sale.

“Displaying calorie information in this manner is a common sense approach that would allow consumers to exercise personal responsibility by providing them with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions,” said Senator Harper Angel. “C-MEAL (Consumer Menu Education & Labeling) would allow people to make better dining choices.”

“Americans eat away from home now more than ever. My home district of Lexington ranks ninth per capita in fast food restaurants. They are a part of our busy lives. Without this information, dining out is a guessing game – one that impacts the health and well-being of families,” said Rep. Kelly Flood.

The bill has received endorsements from the Kentucky Medical Association; Kentucky Nurses Association; Kentucky Public Health Association; Kentucky Diabetes Network, Kentucky Dietetic Association, Kentucky Alliance of YMCAs; American Heart Association; Kentucky Children’s Health and Fitness Fund; Lexington Fayette County Health Department; Northern Kentucky University Wellness Center; Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness; Kentucky Youth Advocates, and Kentucky Voices for Health.

“Obesity continues to be a growing problem in this country and the problem is not just among adults, but it is also affecting our children and teenagers,” Senator Harper Angel said. “We are much more sedentary than our grandparents and great-grandparents and we are eating high calorie, high fat foods. Diet and exercise are two key factors in the weight problem facing Kentucky and the nation. Obesity leads to countless health problems, among those are diabetes, cancer and — the number one cause of death in every single county in Kentucky — heart disease.”

Concerned with the health problems attributed to obesity, Senator Harper Angel believes this legislation will help make Kentuckians more aware of nutritional information so they can make healthier food choices when they eat out.

The average American spends nearly half of his or her food budget in restaurants and dines out four times a week. Restaurant food tends to be served in larger portions and is usually higher in calories than food served at home.

“C-MEAL is not intended to tell people what to eat, but to provide them with the tools to know the number of calories they are eating,” Senator Harper Angel explained. “Consumers need facts, not guesswork, to make healthy choices.”

This type of legislation is not a new concept in the United States. Menu labeling has been implemented in Seattle, New York City and Westchester County, NY. Menu labeling legislation has passed, but implementation has not yet taken place in California, Maine, Oregon, Massachusetts, Nashville, Philadelphia and three counties in New York State. Kentucky is one of 15 states that have proposed menu labeling legislation. With more states enacting menu-labeling laws, Senator Harper Angel and Rep. Flood are pushing for Kentucky to move forward and be a leader in menu labeling.

“With more Americans struggling with obesity-related illnesses, it is critical that consumers have adequate nutrition information to make healthier food selections,” said Linda Van Horn, Ph.D., RD., American Heart Association spokesperson. “We are very supportive of the C-MEAL legislation, and hope that similar menu-labeling policies will be enacted across the country.”

“This issue is popular with the public. Polls show that 78% of the public support menu labeling where it’s available,” said Rep. Flood.

This legislation appeals not just to adults, but also to teenagers.

“It is often assumed that people, especially teenagers, like the food they like, no matter how detrimental it is to their health. But maybe the facts, the startling truth, would change their minds,” said Julie Babbage, a senior at Lexington Catholic High School, who along with other members of the Governor’s Scholars Program studied nutrition this past summer. “Kentucky is on track for having more obese people than not obese by 2016. Changes must be made fast, which is why my friends at GSP and I support this bill. And, we thank Senator Denise Harper Angel and Representative Kelly Flood for this new awareness, key to a healthy lifestyle.”

C-MEAL legislation will be considered during the 2010 Legislative Session.

“As registered dietitians within the state of Kentucky, we are excited to lend our support to this important legislation, which would make Kentucky a leader in nutrition health policy, said Amanda Goldman, MS, RD, LD, President of the Kentucky Dietetic Association. “This legislation would provide all Kentuckians with the information we need to make more informed nutritional choices.”

Menu Labeling of Restaurant Foods Included in Both US Senate & House Bills

Menu labeling is included in the current form of the National Health Care Bill, which is presently being considered in Washington by Senate and House bills. According to the American Dietetic Association, in addition to the calories on the menu boards, these bills also suggest that menus must contain a statement about suggested daily calorie intake to help the public understand the significance of the calorie information on the menu by putting it in the context of the total daily diet.  Additional hardcopy nutrition information must be available on site and provided at the consumer’s request.  In addition, the provision also applies to businesses owning or operating 20 or more vending machines, requiring calorie signage for the vending machine items in close proximity of each food or on the selection buttons. In fact, the language in health reform legislation would establish national standard labeling requirement, so consumers would see calorie information in the same format regardless of restaurant, city or state.

Senator Julie Denton from Louisville said while she “supported the menu labeling but both the House and Senate bill in Congress included similar menu labeling proposals.” She said she had spoken to representatives from both Papa Johns and YUM, whose headquarters are in Louisville about menu labeling. Senator Denton said she wanted to wait to see what Congress imposes on the states at a national level so that menu labeling would be consistent throughout the country.

As a dietitian, I think this legislation is important for consumer education whether it is initiated at the state or national level. With obesity being on the rise across America, we need to make better choices when eating out. Two out of three out of adults in KY and 1 in 3 children are overweight or obese. Research suggests that 50% of America’s food expenditures go for foods consumed outside the home. Americans spent $16.8 billion on fast food in 2008. People eat more calories when they eat out.

The posted information could be a valuable tool in helping both adults and children to manage their weight. In fact, studies in 14 scientific journals found that customers tend to order fewer calories when calories are posted in restaurants. The average reduction ranged from 52 calories to 105 calories per order. Eating 100 fewer calories a day could result in a 10-pound weight loss in a year (3500 calories = 1 pound of fat). When New York City implemented menu labeling requirements, Dunkin’ Donuts reduced the calories in a Glazed Cake Stick from 490 calories to 360 calories; KFC reduced their Firey Buffalo Wings by 110 calories and McDonalds cut 70 calories in a large order of French Fries.