Healthy Monday on the Move — Calorie Counts Make it Possible

It’s important to start the week off with healthy goals, but sometimes the bustle of everyday life makes it hard to stick to good intentions. We grab a quick meal in between errands, without realizing that fast food can be riddled with unnecessary fat and calories.

Thankfully, having a Healthy Monday on the go just got a lot easier! More and more states are introducing legislation requiring that chain restaurants disclose nutritional information to their patrons.

Earlier this month Maine passed a series of new anti-obesity measures, including mandatory nutritional postings. Obesity has become an epidemic there as it has throughout the United States: the amount of overweight children in Maine has tripled to 30% in the last twenty years. Lawmakers hope that educating the public about calorie content will stop this dangerous trend.

Certain parts of New York, Washington and Oregon states currently display nutritional information in chain restaurants. California and Massachusetts will begin the practice next year. There could even be national legislation in the offing. On June 10^th the Senate agreed to include calorie counts as an aspect of new, comprehensive health care reforms. We are a vote away from a national policy requiring chains to inform us about the calorie content of their products.

But will this be the end of the ever-increasing obesity epidemic? Studies performed in restaurants that offer caloric information provide mixed answers. Research done in Subway restaurants throughout New York City found that patrons who considered the posted nutritional data before ordering purchased 52 fewer calories than those who didn’t. 82 % of New York City customers also said that calorie counts on menu boards altered their ordering decisions. Some fear, however, that as nutritional listings become common place, less people will pay attention to them. When listings are not plainly visible, only 0.1% of consumers seek them out. Martin Lindstrom, psychologist and author of Buyology: Truths and Lies About Why We Buy, is concerned that “Eventually, calorie counts will just be wallpaper,” which may lead to similar statistics down the road.

When you step into a chain restaurant, look around for nutritional data. Even if you don’t live in a state where listings are required, many establishments offer pamphlets with calorie content. Be sure to ask at the register. Keep in mind the average adult needs only 2,000 calories a day to maintain his or her weight (some fast food entrees weigh in at over 1,000 calories so choose wisely!).

If you do splurge, remember that Monday is the perfect time to look back on the previous week and plan your strategy for the next. Do the Monday 2000 to monitor how many calories you eat. By resetting your calorie count each Monday you give yourself another chance to eat wisely throughout the week. Access to nutritional data, coupled with calorie consciousness, can help you stay healthy and maintain a normal weight!