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Imagine this.....

You are sitting down to a nice dinner at a restaurant. You have been waiting all day for this anticipated dinner date with friends or a special someone. You open the menu to find your delicious choices inside to choose from...

and you are met with numbers, harsh numbers, souring your palate from any enjoyable dining experience. Your appetite is most likely ruined from picking anything, your head is hurting from doing the math, or if you are on a date, you are probably to self conscious to choose anything more than a salad than enjoy yourself because your date will defiantly know how many calories you will consume in that hour.

What happens to our pleasant dining experience? Remember I am talking about the general population who dines out moderately, uses a wise mind when choosing food items, and does not use a fast food restaurant as a refrigerator. Going out to dinner is a treat that you indulge in, not to be faced with all of the sins of your indulgence as soon as you open the menu.

What happens to the restaurants who list their caloric values next to their items in the menu. I would have to guess there would be a drop in their business. If a restaurant is used wisely, ordering any menu item should not be a horrifying experience. You should never be scared to open a menu! Well I HAVE been afraid of a few of the prices!

There are already too many people obsessed with their body image, and to have it staring you in the face each time you open a menu is just another slap in the face. It is the same for the overweight as the underweight population. The more emphasis on body image our society have I think is detrimental to people who are struggling with weight issues. This struggle is better left for the doctor's office, not the restaurant. If you have a medical issue where you need to know caloric or other information, because of diabetes or other allergies, it is YOUR responsibility to obtain that information. Most restaurants will give you that information readily, or if you have a medical condition you probably already know what you can and can not eat. Do you homework online to obtain the information you need and ask specific questions at the restaurant and they will most likely cater to your order.

So if you make a choice to go dine out at a restaurant, enjoy! No one is watching you. And if you DO need a caloric chart for medical reasons, most restaurants can comply with your requests. Have FUN dining!

Learn more about this author, Isis Kennedy.
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