Gov. David Paterson asked lawmakers Monday to pass legislation requiring chain restaurants, supermarkets and convenience stores to post calorie information on menus, one of a series of anti-obesity measures he has proposed.

“Calorie posting, we feel, is going to be very significant because when people know what their choices are, they seem to make better health choices,” Paterson said.

Sixty percent of New Yorkers are overweight or obese, and three times as many kids are obese today than in 1980 – 24.3 percent, up from 8 percent, the governor said. In high-poverty areas, 33 percent of young people are obese, he said.

A number of communities around the state have passed calorie-labeling measures, most notably New York City, said Nancy Huehnergarth, director of the New York State Health Eating and Physical Activity Alliance. Westchester County’s calorie-labeling law took effect this month and applies to chain restaurants with at least 15 locations, and Ulster County passed a calorie-labeling law last month.

The initiatives are popular with the public, she said, citing a 2008 survey that found 80 percent of New Yorkers are in favor of calorie labeling. One study found that in New York City, customers who saw calorie listings purchased food with an average of 52 fewer calories than those who did not.

“Calorie labeling does not remove choices, nor does it tell consumers what they should or shouldn’t eat. Rather, it provides consumers with the information they need, at point of purchase, to make healthier decisions for themselves and their families,” she said.

Senate Health Committee Chairman Thomas Duane, D-Manhattan, and Assemblyman Felix Ortiz, D-Brooklyn, who have introduced a similar bill, said Monday they would sponsor the governor’s legislation. It’s unclear when the governor’s bill would be considered.

Rick Sampson, president and CEO of the Restaurant Association, said Paterson’s bill would allow local laws to go further than state law. It’s important to the group that any state legislation passed supercede local laws so there is a uniform standard, he said.

Source: Star Gazette Continue Reading This Article Here