Dems urge bold action on O-Care calorie counts

The Hill ^ | August 15, 2014 | Benjamin Goad

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

A pair of congressional Democrats pressed the White House Friday to move forcefully on regulations requiring calorie counts on restaurant menus.

The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) proposed rule mandates labels on restaurants, “similar retail food establishments” and vending machines to combat obesity by helping consumers make healthier choices.

The regulations, a requirement of the Affordable Care Act, were first proposed in 2011 and drew hundreds of public comments. The proposal remains under review at the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Meanwhile, dozens of lawmakers have argued that the FDA’s proposed rule goes beyond congressional intent, warning that the new restrictions would saddle pizza chains and other restaurants specializing in made-to-order dishes with major new costs.

But Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) are pushing back against that contention, arguing that they essentially wrote the provision, which was based on legislation they’d championed for nearly a decade.

Harkin and DeLauro say the proposed rule doesn’t go far enough.

The regulations, they say, were meant to apply not just to restaurants but to all manner of businesses that sell food, including movie theaters, amusement parks, bowling alleys and miniature golf courses.

The proposed rule, though, limits the new restrictions to businesses that use at least half of their floor space for the preparation, purchase, service, consumption or storage of food.

“As drafted, the definition in the proposed rule excludes many retail food establishments that Congress intended to cover in providing consumers with more information about the nutritional content of the food they buy and consume,” Harkin and DeLauro wrote in a letter to OMB Director Shaun Donovan.

The lawmakers also take exception with the proposal’s language governing the way restaurants determine the nutritional content of their foods.

[ExCTCitizen]

That dude is SUPPOSED TO be a lady.

[Caipirabob]

Many chefs don’t stick to the exact same recipe every single time, especially at some of your nicer restaurants. It’s impossible to consistently represent an actual caloric count for many such experiences. The state has grossly overreached and must be slapped back into it’s places as subservient to the people.

Also, reduced caloric intake does not always translate into weight loss or healthier diet. There is no scientific evidence to support that simply cutting calories is better for you. Drastic cuts in necessary proteins can be just as devastating as eating too many carbs. Diet effectiveness is extremely subjective to the needs of the individual and their genetic heritage. There is no “one size fits all” solution to health, but that’s been an ongoing debate ever since hillarycare manifested itself as obamacare.

Such epic fail....

[petitfour]

Hubby and I ate at a Panera bread restaurant for the first time ever recently. We went there for a salad. The females at the table next to us finished their meals and went to look at the dessert selections. They came back empty handed and were talking about the calorie counts being a factor in their decision to skip dessert. They said, “that is bad for business!”