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UK councils urge pub, restaurant and cinema chains to display calorie counts

DCUK NewsBot

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Pubs, restaurants and cinema chains should be required to display calorie content in food and drink, according to the Local Government Association (LGA). The LGA, which represents more than 370 local councils, believes that forcing large chains to spell out calorie contents will contribute to lower rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes, particularly in children. Similar rules already exist in the US. There, chain restaurants and cinemas are obliged to show calorie information. The LGA believes such measures could be part of a brave and bold strategy to tackle obesity in children, and thereby prevent many cases of type 2 diabetes. "Pub, restaurant and cinema chains need to be displaying calorie counts so consumers and parents have a more informed choice and a better understanding of how healthy a particular snack, meal or drink is," said Izzi Seccombe, the LGA's Community Wellbeing Spokesperson. "Food and drink with high calorie content is clearly a factor behind obesity, and the subsequent health problems it can cause. "We want the government to require major retailers to make their customers fully aware of how many calories they are eating or drinking. "Clear and prominent signs indicating the number of calories in a product should be mandatory. "We need to take bold actions in changing environment if we are to beat obesity, and that includes when we're sitting at a table in a restaurant reading a menu or ordering at the counter."

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As a diabetic I am more interested in the carb count, as that is what I have to watch out for!
 
CollieBoy said:
As a diabetic I am more interested in the carb count, as that is what I have to watch out for!
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Agreed. Our local Subway displays the nutritional info on the wall - calories, sugar, fat. Disappointing.
 
What a waste of time. How hard would it be to list the carb content too?
 
zand said:
What a waste of time. How hard would it be to list the carb content too?
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I wouldn't call it "A waste of time." Let's not forget that the world doesn't revolve around those of us who carb count.

This may not mean much to us as diabetics, but it's a strong step in the right direction towards promoting healthier eating habits. Living in the US and seeing it already in place (for the most part), I will say that it's more beneficial than you might think.
 
The world does not revolve around those who calorie count either
 
Tinkering at the edges. If obesity is really their concern, they need to look at banning sugar and alcohol, and whilst they are on cigarettes too. Those three things are societies biggest problems, count that four things if you include stress of western working and living.
 
It's not only diabetics who would benefit from carb counting! The 'ordinary' obese and those simply wanting to lose a few pounds would benefit from it too. I wish someone had told me to stop calorie counting and start carb counting 30 years ago. I have only been T2 for just over 4 years. I certainly don't expect the world to revolve around me, but I would like the world to be shown that carb counting is much more effective for weight loss than calorie counting which ultimately only serves to slow down metabolism. If a carb count was shown alongside calories then people might be curious and give it a go, especially those who don't have a head for maths. Carb counting is easier than calorie counting. What's wrong with giving people a choice?
 
zand said:
What's wrong with giving people a choice?
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I would ask yourself that question, not me.

I believe having a choice is good which is why I said "It's a strong step in the right direction" and disagreed with your opinion that this was "A waste of time." Progress can certainly come in stages and adding calories to menu items is absolutely a sign of progress. Perhaps the next step is adding macronutrients to these menus?

As for your statement that "Carb counting is much more effective for weight loss than calorie counting" that's an opinion supported with very little evidence. Furthermore, it conflicts with your question: What's wrong with giving people a choice?
 
Yeah @zand the article is about UK nutritional labelling, obesity, type 2 diabetes...what would you know about that? X
 

Definitely going in the right direction. Although actually if calories are the wrong things to count, it is perhaps the guidance leading this that requires challenging/adapting, and that's what's happening to a degree.


There's a few places in London that we've seen on twitter that have a specifically low-in-carb focus (meat + veg type of places) and the popularity is definitely growing, so surely/hopefully it's a matter of time(!)
 
I would agree with the statement, especially in cinema's, as the portion size is so big, that people don't realise they are snacking, munching on a huge calorie and carb intake so I would like to see both of these displayed, it would so beneficial to the consumer. The younger generation are big cinema goers, lets at least try to protect them as parents (My teen and I talk about food and its nutritional values, the amount of sugar in a Starbucks concoction was the last thing discussed)
People are intelligent enough to make the choice whether to eat a particular food or not.
 
Well it would be nice to get a breakdown easily available. When it is then it often makes me wonder what on earth is in it to cause such a high calorie count. For example at one chain restaurant that does give the information, even the 'plain' chicken is higher in calories (from both carbs and fat ) than any chicken ought to be.
One of their puddings though has 1216 calories (again mainly from both carbs and fat). The info, which is on the menu, doesn't seem to deter lots of people from ordering it.
 


Your right Phoenix, because it's just 'a treat' , a meal out, so you want to enjoy yourself,unwind, have a day off so to speak, but often when it's it's all added up, those 'treats' can become more of an every day occurrence.
 
People treat themselves too much, so it stops being a treat and becomes a lifestyle.
There's a little Italian cafe near me that is wonderful, I only go a couple of times a year as it is my treat. Even though I'm 99% vegetarian they do this lamb in a cream sauce that is just so yummy I would hate to see the calories in it displayed, I would be
 
If you're gonna go 50% with the initiative, then you might as well go 100%. If you don't you're just correcting the oversight at a later date. No half measures ....
 
this discussion is reminiscent of of when I was first diagnosed back in 1972 and diet sodas had not really been invented yet.
( they only came into being because the commercial peeps thought there was money in it -not for consumers health)

industry will not act out of its way unless forced by legislation or a commercial realisation that there is something in it for them.

so the step is a "in the right direction" one but will only get to carb info on menus if the businesses involved see themselves as getting a competitive edge from it or the government legislates it into being..
 
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