Will Mandating Restaurants to Provide MORE Information Lead to Healthy Choices?

Does having more information about health and nutrition increase the likelihood of losing weight and becoming fit? Does it make the average person make better choices?

That's a tricky question - especially since I'm a blogger about health and fitness! My entire goal is to provide information and encouragement to those who want to change their health for the better or who want to maintain a healthy lifestyle. So I certainly hope the information I provide is not in vain!

HOWEVER, being a formerly overweight woman myself, I know I spent years knowing and accumulating information about nutrition and exercise, yet I didn't drop the weight.

Currently, the health care reform bill includes a requirement to mandate any restaurant operating at least 20 locations to disclose calorie data in menus. Obviously, restaurants and business owners are in opposition to this provision in the reform bill, while many consumers say it's a good idea - probably because we're an information overload culture that thinks information works magic.

Me? I think information is valuable WHEN someone is ready to receive it and is open to the opportunities that information provides. Notice in my second paragraph, I stated that one of the purposes of my blog was to provide information to those who want to change their health for the better. Otherwise, it simply goes in one ear and out the other. Think of the "Just Say No" campaign to drugs. Some kids listen, some don't. How about smoking campaigns? Again, some listen, some don't. To think disclosing calorie information on a menu will make or break the obesity epidemic in our culture is ludicrous. Lack of information is not our American culture's problem!!!

I obviously think there is power in information - or I wouldn't waste my fingertips typing this blog! But the people who are reading my blog are doing so because they're READY, WANTING, and CHOOSING to receive the information. Those who have no interest will simply skim it or click to the next desired topic on the Web.

So I'm not convinced mandating restaurants to post calorie counts on menus will be worth the cost to the business owners to provide it. Those who are already health conscious will probably be the only ones who actually make a menu choice based on the information! The rest will simply order what they want based on what they want... It seems like spending money to take a stab in the dark.

Share what YOU think!