Have you ever wondered just how many calories that chicken quesadilla or reuben sandwich will add to your caloric intake for lunch?  What about the “healthy” veggie spud and cream of broccoli soup?

Eating out can be a real problem for those who are watching their weight and trying to eat healthy.  Until now.  Buried in the pages of the health reform bill passed by the U.S. Congress, is a provision requiring chain restaurants with 20 or more stores to disclose the number of calories on their menus.

Offering a menu without calories is like offering a menu without prices. Individuals should know what their financial cost and their health cost is for what they are ordering. When you purchase food in a grocery store, the “Nutrition Facts” label gives key nutritional information including calories, fat grams, sodium content, etc. for each serving in the package. The customer in a restaurant has to make a blind guess and “judge” how fattening and unhealthy each menu option may be.

Menu-labeling will not reverse the obesity epidemic by itself.  But it is a step in the right direction and one that will cost very little to implement.  Menu-labeling will give each individual the knowledge to make healthy choices, thus putting the responsibility on each of us and ultimately lowering healthcare costs, overall.

Regardless of the view on the overall health reform bill, nearly everyone agrees, including the National Restaurant Association and public health advocates, that this is one part of the bill that will improve health and cut costs in the long run. When the law takes effect in 2011, the number of calories will be noted right next to the price on the menu.

Source: Menu-labeling to Win the Struggle Against Obesity – Kansas City infoZine News.  Jason Eberhart-Phillips, MD.  www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/40532.

Until these changes take place, the Surgical Specialists of Louisiana can help you make healthy and informed decisions.  The MyWeight™ nutrition and wellness counseling program in Louisiana offers individualized weight loss programs, lifestyle coaching and one-on-one medical consultation.  Contact our office to learn more about the MyWeight™ medically supervised weight loss program.