THE economy is bad news, credit is dwindling, and, for New Yorkers, there’s yet another set of numbers they need to fret over.
Their calorie intake.
“2,000 calories a day is all most adults should eat,” the city Health Department says in a three-month subway advertising campaign that started in October.The series of five advertisements is a follow-up to a May ruling which required restaurant chains here to include calorie count on their menus.
“Read ’em before you eat ’em” – that’s the message sent out by the city Health Department, designed to alert New Yorkers that a seemingly innocent-looking meal could have unimaginable calories.
Example: two pieces of fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, biscuit and a fizzy drink would add up to 1,210 calories.
“If this is lunch, is there room for dinner?” the ad asks.
Chain restaurants in New York City are required to list the number of calories of every item on their menus. The practice, which began in May, applies to those operating more than 15 outlets where the menus are standardised.
So, do New Yorkers watch, and worry over, the calorie-count? Apparently, not all do.
“It’s a good ruling,” says Sylvia Kovacs, who has lived in New York City for 10 years. “But knowing the calorie amount doesn’t really influence my decision on what to eat.”
The slim, young actress, devouring a strawberry frosted doughnut (240 calories) at Dunkin’ Donuts near Macy’s one recent afternoon, reasoned that she had not eaten anything yet that day. The doughnut was her first food intake for the day and besides, she seldom patronised Dunkin’ Donuts.
“I eat healthy most of the time,” Kovacs says, recalling her growing up years in Hungary where her family hardly touched fast-food.
Billionaire mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has been pushing for a healthier New York City. Trans-fat was banned from restaurants last year. Smoking had been outlawed in bars, restaurants and indoor public spaces since 2003. Smokers now light up at street corners.
Now, the state governor wants an 18% tax on non-diet fizzy drinks. This “obesity tax”, according to reports, is backed up by statistics showing that one out in every four New Yorker is overly chubby.
The introduction of calorie-count on menus led to public resentment initially. Some New Yorkers saw it as another insult to their civil liberties, accusing the Bloomberg administration of turning Gotham into a nanny state.
Others are supportive, like Dr Ming-Chin Yeh, who is assistant professor (Graduate Public Health Nutrition Track) at Hunter College, who says: “Yes, there is a nanny state-like feeling, but I’m glad I’ve got a damn good nanny!”
Criticisms have since quietened down, which Dr Yeh attributes to a tacit nod from the public that it is a good plan, after all.
“The banning of trans-fat here led to a lot of complaints. But now many cities across the US have imposed similar regulations. This is likely to spread to other parts of the world, too,” he says in an e-mail interview.
“I’m glad New York City is leading the way in making its citizens live a healthier life.”
A study by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention last year indicated a need to downsize New York. There had been a dramatic increase in obesity in the US in the past two decades, according to CDCP. Colorado was the only state with a prevalence of obesity less than 20%; New York registered 25%.
When the report was published, the New York Post called their city “New Pork”.
However, Dr Yeh acknowledges that it is still too soon to know whether the calorie display is changing people’s eating habits as there is no concrete data as yet.
“A couple of my students have told me that they now try to buy items with fewer calories,” he says, “and based on my own experience, I now expect to see calorie info on the menus whenever I eat out.”
Dr Yeh, however, believes that the public will eventually adopt better eating habits. “Making them aware of what they are eating is a good first step,” he says. “This is a good tool in raising people’s awareness.”
But numbers are frightening, sometimes. Some consumers went “OMG!” when they saw an apple raisin muffin marked at 470 calories; and a freshly-squeezed orange juice (475ml) sold at Jamba Juice at 220 calories.
How sure can consumers be that the calorie information is accurate?
“Restaurants base nutrition information and calorie counts on a verifiable analysis of the menu items,” says Sheila Weiss, a dietitian and the director of nutrition policy at the National Restaurant Association, which represents about 945,000 restaurants.
“And this can include laboratory testing, use of nutrient databases, and other reliable methods of analysis; all pursuant to the city’s regulations.”
Their calorie intake.
“2,000 calories a day is all most adults should eat,” the city Health Department says in a three-month subway advertising campaign that started in October.The series of five advertisements is a follow-up to a May ruling which required restaurant chains here to include calorie count on their menus.
“Read ’em before you eat ’em” – that’s the message sent out by the city Health Department, designed to alert New Yorkers that a seemingly innocent-looking meal could have unimaginable calories.
Example: two pieces of fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, biscuit and a fizzy drink would add up to 1,210 calories.
“If this is lunch, is there room for dinner?” the ad asks.
Chain restaurants in New York City are required to list the number of calories of every item on their menus. The practice, which began in May, applies to those operating more than 15 outlets where the menus are standardised.
So, do New Yorkers watch, and worry over, the calorie-count? Apparently, not all do.
“It’s a good ruling,” says Sylvia Kovacs, who has lived in New York City for 10 years. “But knowing the calorie amount doesn’t really influence my decision on what to eat.”
The slim, young actress, devouring a strawberry frosted doughnut (240 calories) at Dunkin’ Donuts near Macy’s one recent afternoon, reasoned that she had not eaten anything yet that day. The doughnut was her first food intake for the day and besides, she seldom patronised Dunkin’ Donuts.
“I eat healthy most of the time,” Kovacs says, recalling her growing up years in Hungary where her family hardly touched fast-food.
Billionaire mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has been pushing for a healthier New York City. Trans-fat was banned from restaurants last year. Smoking had been outlawed in bars, restaurants and indoor public spaces since 2003. Smokers now light up at street corners.
Now, the state governor wants an 18% tax on non-diet fizzy drinks. This “obesity tax”, according to reports, is backed up by statistics showing that one out in every four New Yorker is overly chubby.
The introduction of calorie-count on menus led to public resentment initially. Some New Yorkers saw it as another insult to their civil liberties, accusing the Bloomberg administration of turning Gotham into a nanny state.
Others are supportive, like Dr Ming-Chin Yeh, who is assistant professor (Graduate Public Health Nutrition Track) at Hunter College, who says: “Yes, there is a nanny state-like feeling, but I’m glad I’ve got a damn good nanny!”
Criticisms have since quietened down, which Dr Yeh attributes to a tacit nod from the public that it is a good plan, after all.
“The banning of trans-fat here led to a lot of complaints. But now many cities across the US have imposed similar regulations. This is likely to spread to other parts of the world, too,” he says in an e-mail interview.
“I’m glad New York City is leading the way in making its citizens live a healthier life.”
A study by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention last year indicated a need to downsize New York. There had been a dramatic increase in obesity in the US in the past two decades, according to CDCP. Colorado was the only state with a prevalence of obesity less than 20%; New York registered 25%.
When the report was published, the New York Post called their city “New Pork”.
However, Dr Yeh acknowledges that it is still too soon to know whether the calorie display is changing people’s eating habits as there is no concrete data as yet.
“A couple of my students have told me that they now try to buy items with fewer calories,” he says, “and based on my own experience, I now expect to see calorie info on the menus whenever I eat out.”
Dr Yeh, however, believes that the public will eventually adopt better eating habits. “Making them aware of what they are eating is a good first step,” he says. “This is a good tool in raising people’s awareness.”
But numbers are frightening, sometimes. Some consumers went “OMG!” when they saw an apple raisin muffin marked at 470 calories; and a freshly-squeezed orange juice (475ml) sold at Jamba Juice at 220 calories.
How sure can consumers be that the calorie information is accurate?
“Restaurants base nutrition information and calorie counts on a verifiable analysis of the menu items,” says Sheila Weiss, a dietitian and the director of nutrition policy at the National Restaurant Association, which represents about 945,000 restaurants.
“And this can include laboratory testing, use of nutrient databases, and other reliable methods of analysis; all pursuant to the city’s regulations.”
