Federal Government Wants You to Lose Weight and They Want to Control Your Calorie Intake

How many of you are aware of Bill 2726, a federal act aimed at chain restaurants with “at least 20” outlets to post calorie facts in plain view on their menus? If they don’t they get fined up to $1,000 per offense. The bill has already passed in California and Oregon and is currently before Congress.
Today’s Wall Street Journal reports that Dallas-based Romano’s Macaroni Grill CEO Brad Blum is trying to get ahead of the game by reworking the calorie content of the chain’s food. Last January their 1,630-calorie dessert ravioli was rated “worst dessert in America” by Men’s Health magazine. The call out has nothing to do with how the dessert tastes, just that it has so many calories.
So, what does this all mean to you dear Dishers? It means you get to share your opinion on whether or not this is a good thing. Is it fair that the chain restaurants have to cut calories while the independents don’t? In the WSJ article one Chicago restaurant consult blames the downward trend in casual dining sales on consumers who choose to eat healthier food at home. Ah, I don’t agree with that. What is to keep people from ordering two?