Obesity is spreading all over the world. According Ignacio Roa and Mariano del Sol, “In the last decade, its prevalence has increased significantly, its comorbidities causing 4 million deaths worldwide in 2015. Despite being a disease of multifactor etiology, the most common cause of obesity is excessive calories consumption. ” Calories are closely related to people’s health, but many people know little about them. Some people do not know how many calories he or she needs to consume every day is appropriate. Some people do not know how many calories they are eating. Others do not know that calories determine their health and life span. Due to the concern for the overall health of citizens, the federal government enacted laws requiring restaurants and food manufacturers to post calorie counts on menus and product packages ( “Calorie Counts on” ) . Some people have raised objections that posting calorie counts interferes with consumers' freedom to choose food. The choice, however, is free only when the circumstances are clear. Posting the calorie counts can provide specific and accurate data for people who want to know the calorie counts and remind those who have no concept of calories to pay attention to moderate intake, which is a good deed to care for consumers' health.
Some people oppose posting calorie counts, saying that this interferes with consumers' freedom of choice. Opponents feel that calorie counts on a menu is like a forced nutrition lecture intended to change their choices and spoil their mood at the meal ( “Calorie Counts on” ) . Consumers are forced to alter their choices and their original intention of consumption is affected by the menu( “Calorie Counts on” ) . Therefore, opponents believe that posting calorie counts interferes with consumers' freedom to choose food.
However, if people do not know how the choices they make will hurt their health and do not regret the original choices until their bodies are in trouble, how can such a situation be called free choice? On the contrary, restaurants or food manufacturers post calorie counts to remind consumers to make appropriate choices, but they are not forced to make certain choices. According the article “Calorie Counts on,” “Calorie-posting requirements do not rob consumers of their right to order the unhealthiest items on the menu, proponents say; critics' fears of excessive government intrusion in consumers' choices are therefore completely unfounded.” Consumers can still make their own choices based on price or taste when they know the calorie counts. This is true freedom of choice. Therefore, the view that posting calories interferes with consumers' freedom to choose food is not valid.
Posting calorie counts on a restaurant menu or on a food package first serves as a reference for people who want to know their food intake. Calories are closely related to people's health. Insufficient or excessive calories can lead to health problems and even life problems. So some people who care about their health want to know how many calories they are consuming. The article “Calorie Counts on” points to a 2011 study that showed that when teenagers buy food with no calorie counts on the menu, they rely on guesswork to estimate the calorie counts in the food they buy, which is often lower than the actual calories. Sometimes, the miscalculation is as high as 450 calories. (“Calorie Counts on”). Restaurants and food manufacturers post calorie counts to provide references for those people who need them.
Posting calorie counts on restaurant menus or food packages can also serve as a reminder to those who do not know much about calories to pay attention to the calorie counts and make healthy choices. The change of attitudes is a long process. People need to be educated and reminded when they do not understand the effects of calories on their health. Courtney, Andrea L., et al. point out that posting calorie counts may help people with no independent motivation to think about their food choices to make a healthier decision. Courtney, Andrea L., et al. also argue, “Perhaps policy changes that combine calorie-labeled foods with increased public education about the importance of considering food calories will be the most effective at eliciting large-scale shifts in food choices." Restaurants and food producers posting calorie counts to alert consumers are actually doing well.
The restaurant and the manufacturers provide the calorie counts of the food is a good thing because it not only to facilitate the needs of consumers, but also to remind consumers who have no concept of calorie to pay attention to moderate intake. It is far-fetched to think that posting calorie counts hinders consumers' freedom of choice. A choice made blindfolded is not a free choice. If people want to know it, it is there; if people do not want to pay attention to it, it is their right; if people do not know calories, it can tell them. Posting calorie deserves praise. If you are concerned about your health, it will be very helpful to look at the calorie counts on the menu or package every time you go out to eat or eat a snack.
Works Cited
"Calorie Counts on Menus: Should the Government Require Restaurants to Post Calorie Counts on Menus?" Issues & Controversies, Infobase Learning, 13 June 2011, icof.infobaselearning.com/recordurl.aspx?ID=2318.
Courtney, Andrea L., et al. "Calorie Information and Dieting Status Modulate Reward and Control Activation During the Evaluation of Food Images." PLoS ONE, vol. 13, no. 11, 2018, p. e0204744. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A560901179/OVIC？u=mcc_pv&sid=OVIC&xid=5c218ac1.
Roa, Ignacio, and Mariano del Sol. "Obesity, Salivary Glands and Oral Pathology/ Obesidad, Glandulas Salivares y Patologia Oral." Colombia Medica, vol. 49, no. 4, 2018, p. 280+. Academic OneFile, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A583486541/AONE?u=mcc_pv&sid=AONE&xid =0b1a329a.
