More states continue to look at menu labeling legislation as the National Restaurant Association continues to support the LEAN Act, a national menu labeling law that would standardize nutritional information postings in restaurant. If passed, the federal legislation would require restaurants with more than 20 units to post nutritional information.
The Register-Herald, in Beckley, W.Va., reports that legislators in that state are considering a bill that would require quick-service restaurants and chains with at least 15 outlets nationwide to post calorie information on their menus. The Washington Post said that the Maryland General Assembly is considering requiring QSRs and other chain restaurants to conspicuously post calorie counts on their menus, as is now required in New York City. The Center for Science in the Public Interest said that QSRs would be required to post calorie information while chain restaurants with at least 15 outlets would be required to also post nutritional information.
Other states considering menu labeling regulations include Indiana, Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York and South Carolina. California passed a menu labeling law last year.
State legislators supporting such bills have said that the legislation is intended to address a rise in obesity rates, fears supported by studies such as one posted in Science Daily, which links a high-density of QSRs with weight gain. The restaurant density was associated with an increase of 3 pounds in weight and .8 inches in waist circumference among neighborhood residents who frequently ate at those restaurants.
In contrast, high-walkability neighborhoods were associated with a decrease of 2.7 pounds in weight and 0.6 inches in waist size among residents who increased their levels of vigorous physical activity during a one-year period.
The study is part of the Portland Oregon Neighborhood Environment and Health Study where researchers are following a sample of more 1,200 local residents ages 50-75 years old over a three-year period looking at eating habits and physical activity among other factors.
