Would Requiring Fast-food Restaurants to Post Calorie Counts Help Us Lose Weight?

If losing weight was all about counting calories, then one could conclude that most Americans aren’t so good at math. However, the reality is that Americans can count just fine. What they can’t do is eat healthfully, easily. The number of calories posted at fat-food content restaurants won’t keep people from eating fast food any more than warnings on liquor or cigarettes will keep people from drinking or smoking.

Besides, you don’t need a number to tell you that a fast food burger is fattening and not particularly good for you. People who eat that food don’t care. They just want the food. Salad bars are just as easy to find as drive thrus, but the you won’t see McDonald’s going the way of Ford Motors any time soon — even with the calories counted and posted.

And as for the people who choose an entree that has less calories than another entree at a fast food restaurant — good luck with the math. You might have better luck watching the numbers on your scale for a change!