Ontario hoping legislation reduces obesity
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The way we order food in Ontario may soon be changing.
It’s been in the works for quite some time. Today the Liberals tabled a bill to add mandatory calorie counts to menus in all major chain restaurants and grocery stores. The move is aimed at reducing intake of high-calorie items, and combating obesity.
The legislation would make Ontario the first province in Canada to add mandatory labelling on menus.
A McDonald’s Angus burger with fries and a Coke contains 1,360 calories.
Dietitian Kate Park: “Just being able to see, ‘oh wow I’m getting two thirds of my calories in this one meal’, might make people a little more aware and maybe make a healthier choice.”
Health Minister Deb Matthews vows that calorie counts will soon be staring you in the face at the drive-thru and on restaurant menus. “Any restaurant, cafe, grocery store or variety store that sells prepared food and has more than 20 locations in Ontario will have to post nutritional info on their menu board.”
“It requires food service premises to post a contextual statement that would help educate patrons about daily caloric requirements, and it would authorize public health inspectors to enforce these requirements.”
Reaction?
“It’s great.”
“If people know what they’re eating, it’s better for them right?”
“I think it’s an awesome idea.”
“They would be more health conscious if they saw what’s on paper instead of what they thought in their head.”
Many restaurants and fast food chains already post calorie counts online; some even mark them on packaging. But few people take the time to look when the information isn’t obvious.
“If I knew exactly what the calorie count was, then I could change and order what I need instead of what I want.”
“I’d like to be able to read the counts as I’m going through my list in my head.”
When you do research just how many calories you’re consuming, the numbers may surprise you.
A six-inch cold cut sandwich from Subway with mayonnaise and cheese – 530 calories, only 10 less than a Big Mac. A Sonoma Valley salad from Kelsey’s contains even more – 630.
“A salad might be very healthy but once you’ve covered in cheese and croutons and dressing, you can double or triple the calories.”
The new rules don’t address sodium. Dietitians say the calorie counts are a good place to start but people need to realize how much salt they’re eating.
“It’s easy to get three times your salt just from one dish.”
Still, most nutritionists and Ontarians are happy to see the rules that would remind them to think twice about what they’re eating.
CHCH News reached out to several fast food chains to get their reaction to the legislation. McDonald’s responded with a written statement saying they support the move. “As a long-time industry leader in providing comprehensive nutrition information, we’re committed to helping our customers make informed food and beverage choices to suit their dietary needs and preferences.”
This legislature is merely a proposal at this point. it would require support from either the NDP or PC parties to pass. And with the threat of a spring election on the horizon, we may never see it enacted.
