Gloria Campos
Feb 7, 2023
There is an epidemic of obesity in the United States. The rapidly increasing number of over-weight individuals in America is alarming enough to have thousands of studies dedicated to studying why this increasement is happening, what is contributing to the growth of these numbers, and how Americans can begin to decrease them. Among the studies committed to abating this surge includes the calorie count advertised on restaurant menus. The debate stands on the ground of whether this additional advertisement will lead customers to make healthier choices when out to eat. Despite the supplementary information, the calorie count on restaurant menus fails to support healthier customer choices.
A study conducted by Cato Institute’s Senior Fellow and University of Kentucky Professor Aaron Yelowitz showed that displaying the calories of a meal on a menu does not significantly influence “body weight, obesity, or other health-related outcomes.” Body weight can be defined by the heaviness or mass of an individual. Wootan tells us that a person's body weight can be put in the category of obesity if “an additional 250 calories or so [is] consumed” daily. Becoming obese can lead one down a negative rabbit hole of consequences for their health and wellness. There is no denying on either side of the argument that obesity in America is becoming more prominent.
When it comes to weight gain, Wootan, Vice President to a nutrition-based center, explains that it is a gradual process where people gain “about one to two pounds a year over decades.” Wootan argues that menus including the calorie count is necessary. She claims that Americans “get about a third of their calories from eating out.” With this assertion as well as with her evidence of a study from a health-related nonprofit that claimed, “menu labeling resulted in an average reduction of about 50 calories per restaurant meal,” it is easy to see that eating out is a big portion of American eating habits, but not big enough to be able to make or break someone on the verge of obesity. Wootan even admits that “some small studies have found no effect from menu labeling.” Studies have proven that the calorie count on the menu does nothing for the health of Americans.
As a result of the study done by Yelowitz, he was able to conclude that “the long-term impact of menu mandates is essentially zero” for most body types. One example he provided was that “a 5-foot 10-inch, 190-pound adult male” would only lose “half a pound” due to the menu mandate. He was also able to take the data from a 2008 menu mandate in New York that proves that, instead of seeing a reduction in overall obesity rates, there was an increase. He points out that none of this information is “surprising” as it is on many occasions “wrongly assume[d] that consumers make dining choices in extreme ignorance of how choosing a cheeseburger over a salad will affect their health.” Yelowitz ends his argument by reminding the reader that the health benefits of a meal are not the only factors being weighed by consumers when choosing what to eat at a restaurant. He indicated that “the taste of food or its pricing” plays a huge role in the decision-making process of a customer.
The information provided from the two contrasting opinions of Yelowitz and Wootan can only lead one to think the extra numbers under the meals in restaurants to be unimportant when it comes to the weight and wellness of Americans. With all of the other factors contributing to the obesity of America, it is hard for one approach alone to take care of diminishing this issue. The answer to overweight and obese individuals in the United States is not going to be found by including calorie counts on menus. Americans are out to treat themselves and have a good time. One of the traditional American sayings is, “We’re here for a good time, not a long time.”
