Do Fast Food Nutrition Labels Have an Effect on Obesity?
We have been eating fast food for years now, without a second thought to what we are actually eating. We all know that fast foods contain more calories than grocery store foods – anything that tastes that good has got to have a lot of calories! However, I think many of us would be shocked if we knew just how many calories, fats, carbs and sugars there are in just one hamburger or taco meal.
Since the government passed the law about the public knowing what is in the foods we are eating, restaurants have been required to have their nutritional food facts on hand, in case anyone asks for a copy. I think they are technically supposed to display them somewhere in the public view, but most fast food places don’t really follow that rule, and do we really want them to? It would spoil many meals if we knew what we were eating! However, America is well known as the fattest country in the world, so maybe spoiling a meal or two isn’t such a bad idea.
People are starting to become more aware of what we are putting into their bodies, and as a result we are paying more attention to the nutritional facts on the foods we buy. For a lot of people though, it takes more than just posting the calorie count on the wall. When you go out to eat, what do you consider before you decide what to order? Most people think about the portion size, taste and price before they think about the calories involved, and even when they do think about the calories, a lot of the time they still end up eating something more unhealthy because of false advertising.
Most fast food places offer “healthy” alternatives now, like salads, fresca sandwiches and fruit and yogurt desserts, and a lot of people like these choices and feel like they are eating healthy when they order these items instead of going for the bacon cheeseburger. Unfortunately, most of the time, the bacon cheeseburger is actually healthier for you than the salad! If you don’t believe me, go to the website of your favorite fast food restaurant and look up your favorite items in the nutritional facts. For example, did you know that the low fat muffins at your favorite coffee shop contain more calories than the chocolate chip muffin? The junior cheeseburger at McDonald’s has way more grams of fat than the Big Mac! We are being deceived here America! So to answer the question, do nutritional facts have an effect on obesity, I would have to say that the answer is complicated. If more people took the time to really read about the foods at their favorite restaurants, then I really believe that nutritional facts could help fight obesity. However, if we keep ignoring the information, obesity will continue to rise. Part of the blame also lies with the restaurants, because they don’t post the nutritional facts in plain sight so people can actually read them.
