Let it Flow

I didn’t think I had a strong opinion about this topic until I had a conversation over the weekend with a friend. It turns out I was wrong!

In case you haven’t heard, as of last Wednesday New York City fast food (McDonald’s, Wendy’s) and many chain restaurants (Friday’s, Olive Garden) will be required to start posting calorie counts on their menus.

Will it help the obesity problem?
According to the article on ABCNews.com, the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene it will prevent approximately 130,000 New Yorkers from becoming obese and another 30,000 from developing diabetes.

I have a lot of questions. I can’t help but wonder is counting calories the real issue here? Is someone going to leave McDonald’s or Fridays because he/she see the calorie count? If you’re on a tight schedule, will you leave or sit and eat anyway? If you’re already at the fast food chain, isn’t it too late? Healthy eating might not be a top priority.

I also think people in general have a distorted view of caloric intake - they fast or skip meals for the remainder of the day to make up for “bad eating” at one meal. I hear this all the time.

So what’s it going to take?
I think it will take more than the facts and a list of how-to’s. More thought provoking education and information is needed. We’re talking about changing behaviors. People need to know why it’s important not just that “it is important”. They need a new ideology - a new way of thinking - and is that going to come from posting calories alone?

I believe stress could be the culprit for many people, which is why I’ve chosen to focus my work on helping people manage stress. Stress at work, emotional stress (we eat to hide emotions), stress on our time (McDonald’s is quick!), our finances (McDonald’s is cheap!). Food is comfort, and when faced with so much in our lives that need comforting, overeating becomes a big issue. It feels better to eat a tasty burger or pizza (Yes, I’ve fallen pray to stress eating!) than it does to hit the treadmill or get in touch with and admit feelings. But that’s what is needed - to feel it.

Researchers and wellness professionals need to start focusing on the whole puzzle, not just one piece at a time. There is more to this issue than a bunch of “how-to” lists and calorie information. It’s not enough to say “proper diet and exercise” will help obesity. There is a a reason why these messages aren’t getting through. In order to change behavior, people need to receive information that makes them really think about, feel and understand the consequences of their current choices. And that’s no easy task.

What do you think? Should restaurants be required to post calorie counts? Do you think it will help the obesity issue?

Tags: Food and Diet, Food for thought, Stress //