The New York City Board of Health voted Tuesday to mandate all city chain restaurants to post calorie data on their menus. This is their way of stopping the spread of obesity epidemic in the city, where 54 per cent of adults are overweight or obese.
In October, the Department of Health said that New Yorkers will be able to make healthier choices if the calorie information is given upon their selection of food items.
City health commissioner Dr. Thomas Frieden said in a news release that the regulation passed by the Board of Health will help make better choices on what to eat, resulting to longer, healthier lives.
Despite good intentions, the New York Restaurant Association sued the Board of Health to stop the policy as this would violate the First Amendment rights of its members. The group is thinking of other measures, including further litigation against the city, according to the association's spokesman, Chuck Hunt.
The regulation will fully take effect on March 31 of next year and will cover restaurants with 15 or more outlets.
