The addition of calorie counts to menu boards at fast food restaurants in NYC has been generally regarded as a controversial-yet-monumental step in conquering obesity -- so it's a little bit disappointing that a study recently found that they don't actually work in low income neighborhoods.

The study, published in the journal Health Affairs, found that only half of the 1,156 consumers questioned actually noticed the nutritional information, and of those, only a quarter said that it made a difference in their food choices. That's not all -- the researchers charted data from both before and after the labeling scheme was introduced and found that the average amount of calories consumed by each patron actually went slightly up.

"We did not find evidence in our sample that menu labeling influenced the total number of calories purchased at the population level," concluded lead author Brian Elbel, adding "menu labels may need to be coupled with additional policy approaches."

But NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg is standing by the decision to include calorie counts on menus. "At least the public has information and that's the government's job -- to make sure that the public has information," Reuters reported him saying. Still, at the end of the day, it's up to each of us to make the right choice for our health.

So, should calorie counts be on menus in other places, too, or should we just cut our loses?

If you've been in New York recently, you've probably noticed restaurant calorie counts posted for the food. And an overwhelming majority of people are fans of the calorie counts, with many people ordering less food or going to new, more healthful eateries altogether.

Now, the UK is taking a cue from NYC, and plans to implement calorie posting in restaurants there. The United Kingdom's Food Standards Agency did a survey of 2000 adults, finding that 85 percent thought eateries should make the nutrition information on their foods available at point of sale.

No law is being passed (yet), but the agency is asking "brave" restaurants to voluntarily post calorie counts for a six-month trial run. The thing is, I can't imagine most fast food-type restaurants doing this voluntarily, especially considering how many people admitted they ordered less and went elsewhere -- restaurants are businesses, after all.

Still, wouldn't it be great if all eateries offered this information on the menu? I know it would help me out!

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Calorie counts have popped on menus in New York, and they could be coming to a restaurant near you too. Per my earlier post on the topic, we know The View co-host Joy Behar doesn't like looking at calorie totals when she's ordering. She's pretty sure she knows what she's getting when she picks her meals. She doesn't need anything in writing or in her face. You -- all you readers out there -- now, you seem to be of a different mindset. Look at what 106 of you shared when polled on your thoughts about the whole calorie count thing.

• 89.6% of you like calorie counts.
• 2.8% of you don't like them.
• 7.5% of you don't really care.
  
  

The majority of you like calorie counts on menus. I think I do too. Like Joy, I do generally know what I'm getting when I order but like most Americans, I'm sure I underestimate when it comes to numbering the calories in my favorite foods. And since underestimating tends to lead to overeating, I think it's wise to have a little reminder system in place, because if that seemingly healthy salad, for example, comes with a whopper amount of calories, well, then, I'm ordering something else.

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Here's a frightening thought -- pretty soon, we'll be able to see the calorie counts on the menu boards of several fast food joints falling under the parent company Yum Brands, including KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, according to recent reports. Don't get me wrong -- I think we all agree that calorie counts on menus are a great idea. What frightens me is knowing how many calories are in a stuffed crust pizza, deep fried chicken thigh or cheesy taco crunchwrap supreme. The horrors.

Still, this is a definitely a step in the right direction for people trying to lose weight. No longer can you plead innocence after downing that bucket of original recipe chicken -- the 'I just didn't realize it had 10 billion calories' excuse won't work anymore. And for those of you who are counting calories, now you'll know exactly how much of your daily intake you've blown in one meal.

What do you think about calorie counts on menus?

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This summer I joined some friends on their pontoon for a day of cruising around the lake and docking in the shallows with about 30 other boaters. My friends told me we'd have lunch on the boat, so I had brought along some simple fare. Instead of keeping it simple, my friends attached a small grill to the back of the pontoon and grilled a fantastic lunch. In fact, they made so much that they filled a styrofoam cooler with the food and walked it through the shallows offering other boaters food from their floating restaurant. Needless to say, the other boaters were thrilled.

Just as my friends wowed their water-loving comrades, you can wow your fellow football fans when tailgating. Cooking Light has four great menus for you to try. You don't have to stick to hot dogs or cold sandwiches. The Cooking Light menus are much more ambitious -- not to mention delicious; salmon, cous-cous, barbecued chicken, and peaches with caramel sauce are just a few of the tasty treats they recommend.

Want more tailgating tips? Check out Kristin's post on vegetarian tailgating.

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Love to eat out but hate the damage it does to your diet? Try these easy tips and tricks for having all the fun and none of the flab:

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The city of brotherly love has decided to spread some nutritional love. A Philadelphia city council has given the thumbs up to requiring area restaurants to post nutrition information include calories, fat, and carbs. A final vote is still pending and there is some dissention about the measure. Critics feel that the requirements are too broad and that it would be difficult for some establishments to comply.

Not all restaurants would be required to post nutrition information. Only chains with 10 or more locations, convenience stores, delis, bakeries, and some coffee shops are included in the measure.

For some restaurants, determining nutrition data could be difficult -- particularly if meals can be customized or if there is a rapidly changing menu. But from a consumer's standpoint, I love that Philly is taking a stand. Sometimes restaurant meals can be shockers, so having the information there in black and white is a helpful tool. Remember, even if the restaurant you're going to doesn't post the info on their web site or in the restaurant, ask your server. They may know/can get the info for you or, at least, can let you know how it's prepared.

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You may think you know what you're doing when it comes to eating healthy while eating out at restaurants, but do you really? Do steamed veggies and egg white omelets sounds like healthy fare? Because they aren't usually, at least not as much as you might think.

Truth is restaurant food usually tastes as good as it does because chefs and cooks have any number of tricks up their sleeves to add fat. Fat makes food taste great, sadly, and so they put it in and on everything. Besides steamed veggies (which are often coated in oil before and after steaming) and egg-white omelets (which are cooked in loads of oil in the skillet), other high-fat restaurant shockers include seemingly plain toasted bread and buns, grilled meats, and even sushi.

To get the healthiest fare you have to both educate yourself and make a point to communicate with your servers and tell them exactly what you do, or don't, want (i.e. no butter or oil added at any step of the cooking process).

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A rule instituted by the New York Restaurant Association that would require certain fast food establishments to list the calories each item has in bold letters next to the price of the item isn't going to be followed by many NYC eateries. Burger King, McDonald's and Wendy's have said they won't be posting calorie counts -- doing so will be confusing to people visiting the restaurant, as the menus will contain too much information. Such menus would be an eyesore.

I find that fast food menu boards are already confusing, and I agree that adding the calorie count them will make them more mind-boggling than they already are. But at the same time, I think providing the calories alongside the price is a fantastic idea. What do you think?

Via Fitsugar

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All the drama from New York City's recent regulation requiring fast food restaurants to post calorie counts on menus is about to come to a head as the deadline, this Sunday, approaches. Burger King, McDonalds, and Wendy's are all openly planning to defy the order and will not be making any changes to their menus anytime soon. And due to a pending lawsuit by the New York Restaurant Association the city won't be handing out any fines until at least October, if the new law is still standing by then.

In the meantime fast food chains say it's not that they don't want consumers to know calorie counts (many of them make the information available voluntarily anyway), but they say that putting them on the menu in print as big as the price would make for a messy, hard to read display that would look like "a bad day at the eye doctor's office."

What do you think? I like the idea of easily accessible calorie information, but I don't know that it needs to be in huge print right on the menu board.

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