I agree… the fast food situation IS trickier than it looks; in Morgan Spurlock’s “Fast Food and The SuperSizing Of America” he shows how regions with the highest levels of poverty always have a much, MUCH higher concentration of fast food chains than more affluent regions. And how there is a depressing shortage of grocers selling fresh fruit and veggies and all-round “healthy” stuff.

However my point really was addressing the folks that eat fast food regularly for the convenience factor, and not because they are deprived of healthier alternatives. When folks dine out in a “real” restaurant, they are probably less inclined to be concerned about calories – since this is unlikely to be daily occurrence, and more likely to be a treat.

Whereas fast food may serve as a regular source of “nutrition”, and therefore it’s more critical that folks know the caloric value of your meals.

Where public policies could make themselves felt are in measures such as offering tax incentives to grocers willing to locate in such areas; additional public assistance monies directed specifically towards the purchase of veggies/fruits and other higher cost fresh foods; setting aside land to be used for community gardens; improving school lunch programs, and so on.

In other words, people also need alternatives to fast food, otherwise any regulatory efforts are likely to be fruitless.

Thanks for clearing up that point. You and I both agree that regulation of any sort – as well meaning as it may be – rarely gets it totally right.

Personally, I think the value of forcing restaurants to post caloric details is simply that it allows consumers to make informed choices. That’s it. I don’t argue that restaurants need to change their menus, although a posting of caloric values may force them to do so, if the consumer demands it.

Most of the time, consumers don’t have any idea of the sheer volume of calories they are consuming. Simple regulations like this, along with a basic understanding / knowledge of caloric requirements can make a difference in personal choices. The “New York” experiment seems to emphasize this.

On a slightly different note, I think it’s more important for fast food restaurants to be regulated, since these meals tend to be extremely high in calories and, because of lower cost and convenience of these meals, are more likely to be a regular meal “fare.”

Regardless, I think this discussion – along with some fantastic points from Johnny – point out that there’s no “single” approach to this problem. Education, regulation, and a willingness to accept one’s own responsibility for the issues are just of the first steps in addressing what is a huge problem.

IMHO, this doesn’t mean individuals don’t need to exercise personal responsibility – far from it. But neither Paul nor I are advocating outlawing Onion Blossoms, or forcing IHOP to serve tofu and broccoli. There are shades of gray between draconian regulation on the one hand, and leaving people to drown in their own lard on the other. The best public policies make exercising personal responsibility easier.

For example, New York City recently started requiring larger restaurants to post the calories of their menu items, and – if articles like this are to be believed – it’s having some effect on people’s choices. No one is telling them what to eat, or restricting their choices – but now they have to make those choices with eyes wide open: which is the essence of personal responsibility.

I sincerely believe there are a lot of parents who don’t know and believe a great percentage of them don’t really care to take the time to learn.

I disagree with your first paragraph and say that there are a great deal of parents who do choose to simply put their kids in front of the tube and feed them junk, because it’s easy. I’m also willing to bet that none of those parents are the ones reading your excellent blog. As a former coach of youth sports – i’ve seen way to many kids whose parents just use the programs as baby sitters. I could go on for hours, but you’d loose your readership. Make it great!

You’re right, parents definitely need to be held accountable. However, I find it difficult to believe that parents are setting their children in front of the T.V. and feeding them pizza pockets because they believe it is the right thing to do.

I can attest to the fact that majority of people have very little knowledge about nutrition and don’t seem to be able to correlate the items in their grocery carts with their own physical shape or that of their children.

So a comprehensive public education is something else that is definitely required so that people are enabled to make smart and informed choices.

Hello. At what point does personal responsibility enter into these issues. I work with restaurants across the country and know they stay in business only if they serve what their customers will buy even when the calories are listed. Where is parental responsibility? The other day you wrote about the changes in cookbooks and recipe sizes and ingredients.

We can put all types of regulations and rules in place, but until parent start teaching their children about different foods and the effects, the regulations won’t really matter if a kid has grown up being fed “junk”. Then throw in time in front of computers and TVs and it just compounds the situation.

My wife and I raised two daughters. They are only two years apart in age. One is tall and thin and can pretty much eat anything, the other is shorter and has to watch everything she eats or she’ll balloon. Both are very active and play sports in college. I mention this because we are all different and each of us needs to understand what the consequences of our choices will have on our own bodies. Your second to last paragraph is right on, but it is only a single piece of the situation and it will not be addressed by additional regulation or rules. It starts at home.