David Spates "Therefore I Am" Published Nov. 11, 2003

Healthy eating is a personal choice, not a federal mandate

"Yes, I'd like a 1,458-calorie No. 4 combo, supersized, please. And a Diet Coke." Nothing washes away hundreds of calories like diet soda, eh?

I'm all for fighting the battle of the bulge, but I'm not sure legislation that requires restaurants to post calorie content is going to make much difference. A new bill is making its way through Congress' hallowed halls in response to polls that indicate most Americans would like calories listed along with prices.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a Democrat from Connecticut (I think we all could have guessed that part), introduced the bill in the House last week, and Sen. Tom Hawkin, a Democrat from Iowa, said he would introduce similar legislation in the Senate. Two-thirds of Americans support a requirement for restaurants to list calories on their menus, according to a survey released last week by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nonprofit group that backs nutrition labeling.

Part of me thinks this may actually be a good thing. Obesity and obesity-related diseases are out of control in this country. It's a health issue, not a cosmetic one. We're too darn fat, but there's no secret formula to weight gain: If you take in more calories than you use, you gain weight. If you take in less calories than you use, you lose weight. If your intake and usage are about the same, you won't gain any weight. Feel free to shell out $22.99 for a bestseller if you must, but that's what it all boils down to.

Although the Center for Science in the Public Interest (who came up with that name?) says most people want the calorie information, I'm not convinced it will make much difference. Is there anyone here who doesn't know that restaurant food is more expensive, has more fat, sodium, sodium and cholesterol than most anything you would cook at home?

I think we Americans know restaurant food isn't very good for us, but we buy it anyway. Why? It's like a little mini-vacation! Most people's days are filled with activities that accommodate someone else -- either you're working for The Man or you're with your kids or you're doing something for someone else. But when you walk into a restaurant, whether it be a greasy fast-food dive or a five-star metropolitan bistro, one of the first things you hear is, "How may I help you?"

Angelic bells ring, birds chirp, a rainbow appears, flowers bloom, and there is goodness in the world once again. "How may I help you?" Or, better yet, "What may I get for you?" Damn the fat grams and full speed ahead! I deserve it.

We know the food is full of calories and fat. We know that. The numbers are staggering. At Wendy's, a double cheeseburger and large fries packs on 1,120 calories, 1,900 mg of sodium and 56 g of fat. At McDonald's, a double cheeseburger and large fries tips the scale at 1,210 calories, 1,790 mg of sodium and 73 g of fat. If these numbers are posted alongside the prices on the menus, is it going to inspire people to order a salad? Judging by the size of the people I see walking around town, I'm thinking that most of them aren't rabid salad eaters.

One problem with the bill is that the requirement is only for restaurant chains with at least 20 outlets. Sure, that covers the biggies like McDonald's, Wendy's, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Outback, Cracker Barrel and such, but why should the local restaurants be exempt? Twenty outlets seems like a pretty arbitrary number to me. Besides, if you really want the nutritional information from any of those big chain restaurants, look it up on the Internet. Where do you think I got the McDonald's and Wendy's information? It took me about 20 seconds.

Not surprisingly, the restaurant industry isn't thrilled with the notion of federally mandated listings. Terrie Dort (sounds like a nice dessert, doesn't it?), president of the National Council on Chain Restaurants, said even with the standardized menus, most chains still pride themselves on being able to customize entrees, which she added makes it nearly impossible to provide accurate nutrition data. "Can you imagine the thousands of different varieties that could go in a pizza?" she said.

Indeed I can. I think I may have tried every conceivable combination. There should be a special exemption for pizza. After all, it's nature's perfect food.

When in doubt, seek more information. It's hard to argue that point, but I just don't know if a federal mandate is the best way to get America off its ever-expanding can. We have access to more nutritional and health information today than at any other time in American history, and yet obesity is at record levels. Go figure.

The pudgification of America is sandwiched between freewill and a slice of cheese.

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David Spates is a Knoxville resident and Crossville Chronicle contributor whose column is published each Tuesday. He can be reached at davespates@chartertn.net.