I was in New York City this week, and it was my first experience seeing calories posted alongside of prices in Fast Food restaurants. New York enacted a law a year ago, and California and Philadelphia have followed suit.

I guess I’ve known about the law for some time, but it was jaw-dropping to see it for the first time. To put it succinctly, there are TONS OF CALORIES in fast food! I know what you’re thinking – Duh! Who didn’t know that?

The troubling part of the experience was that these giant calorie counts didn’t seem to be diminishing demand during my visit. A recent study by Health Affairs showed that while 27% of the people said it influenced their choices, the amount of calories consumed by people went up 2-3%!

I was inside food court at Laguardia airport, so I could walk around and easily compare Burger King, Sbarro Pizza, Nathan’s Hot Dogs, etc. In all of these places, my intended dinner (what I would have normally eaten) did not correspond with the amount of calories I would have thought they would be.

I was thinking that I ought to take in no more than 700 calories for the evening meal because I already knew I’d eaten a pretty good breakfast and lunch. Normally, I might have gotten a Whopper with a large fry and a Diet Coke (to negate the other calories). This combination would have been around 1,200 calories, and I just couldn’t do it.

1. People underestimate the number of calories they take in, and they overestimate the calories they burn. I would bet that most people don’t even know that the recommended daily intake of calories for adults is 2,000. No clue.
2. Fast Food is a bad setting. Some people really want to eat healthy, but when they put themselves into the position of being hungry and rushed at the same time, it’s a bad combination. If they had more time to think about what they were going to eat and more time to eat it, they may make a healthier decision.
3. These are brands we trust. I grew up eating at McDonalds and Burger King. I have always trusted that they’re not trying to kill me. It seems like it would be in their best interests to keep me alive and a loyal customer. This is not the case. I think they still like me, but they no more about the food that I crave than I do. Bad smartness.
4. It’s cheap. If you think about food on a Calorie per Dollar basis, you can’t beat it. It’s true that the wealthier are healthier because they can afford to eat better. The United States needs to get invested in producing healthier food at a lower cost, or the obese will get obeser.

So, what to do? For me, I thought the menu information was fabulous, and I wish it was on every menu. I’d eat smarter and better. I’m going to continue to read books like, “Eat This, Not That.” Fantastic, easy-to-understand format for dining out and for dining in.

And, finally, I’m glad I didn’t get the Chili Cheese Fries at Nathan’s.

Good Googly Moogly!