by Jack Buchanan

Created on: May 22, 2008

We've been hearing a lot about what we should eat and what we shouldn't eat, whether it's on the news, recommended by your doctor, or talked about by your friends. Well, how do we know what we should eat and what we shouldn't eat? Or, in other words, how do we know what's healthy? The only way to find out is for the menus in restaurants to list the amount of calories and trans fat that is contained in each food item. This should be done in order to prevent unhealthy eating habits that may lead to obesity, make people more aware about how much fat and calories they take in, and to allow consumers to plan exercise and diets accordingly.

Listing the nutrition information makes the consumers be more aware of the unhealthiness of the food item, thus allowing the customers to be aware of their eating habits and preventing obesity. Studies of the American Heart Association in 2008 show that approximately 33 percent of adults and 20 percent of children under 18 are overweight. That means about 143 million adults and 10 million children are at an unhealthy weight. Obesity is caused by consuming too many calories or fats without exercise or proper nutrition. By seeing how many calories and fats are contained in the foods people eat, they can control their diets, thus decreasing the risk of obesity and complications due to obesity. But, it is a common misconception that the people eating at a restaurant feel bad about their weight or eating habits when they view the information. What these people don't understand is that by listing this vital information, the consumers can find ways to solve their problem, instead of just feeling guilty about it. By reducing obesity, people can also benefit by decreasing the risk of other diseases and disorders.
In addition, people can see how much of certain types of nutrition are in the menu items. The people who suffer from Diabetes, high cholesterol levels, food allergies, or other disorders need to monitor what they eat. If all restaurants provided nutrition information, those people can easily control and monitor their eating habits. By doing so, they can improve their health and lead better lives. But, it is also misunderstood that preventing customers to buy unhealthy foods lead to a decrease in profit of the restaurant. But, because of the negative impacts that fattening foods or foods with high levels of cholesterol/sugar have, consumers turn to buying healthier foods that restaurants also serve, such as salads, fruit, or certain

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