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New Yorkers try to swallow calorie sticker shock
MSNBC ^ | 7/16/08 | Roni Caryn Rabin

Posted on 08/03/2008 8:25:52 AM PDT by mngran2

New Yorkers have been in the throes of sticker shock since this spring when the Big Apple became the first city in the country to implement a law forcing chain restaurants to post the calorie count of each food in the same size and font as the price.

Restaurants have not exhausted their legal challenges, but the city will start fining violators up to $2,000 beginning Friday, say officials with the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

While some sit-down chains and fast-food eateries are waiting until the last minute, coffee shops like Starbucks — home of the 470 calorie raspberry scone and 610 calorie cookie — have been replacing their menu boards and adding calorie tags to pastries in recent weeks. The result: Do a little eavesdropping in a New York City restaurant, and you may think you’ve stumbled into an Overeaters Anonymous meeting.

At T.G.I. Friday’s, one of the few sit-down chain restaurants to have already added calorie counts to menus, a group of young women gasped as they studied the menu, barely able to find a meal under 1,000 calories, never mind an appetizer or dessert. Both Stephanie Fowler and Lindsay Green asked about the suddenly popular Classic Sirloin — at 290 calories, it was one of the lowest calorie items on the menu — but learned the restaurant ran out by the time the dinner rush started.

Outside the Forest Hills’ Dunkin’ Donuts, Juan Restrepo, the 45-year-old owner of a construction company, said he was quitting corn muffins — 510 calories! — this time for good.

(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; US: New York
KEYWORDS: calories; food; foodpolice; foodsupply; nannysrate; nannystate; newyork
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To: Clemenza

Happily married for 28 years this Labor Day Weekend to the great GOP_Harley_Guy! :-) Otherwise...


41 posted on 08/03/2008 9:47:08 AM PDT by GOP_Lady
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To: mngran2

Raspberry scones, 470 calories? Yikes!


42 posted on 08/03/2008 9:47:11 AM PDT by ladyjane
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To: wintertime

I walk two miles a day during the week, and at least six per day on the weekend. 2,200 in just walking alone. Have a slight paunch, but am in good shape otherwise.


43 posted on 08/03/2008 9:48:17 AM PDT by Clemenza (McCain/Palin; Maverick and the MILF)
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To: Clemenza

It’s rather disheartening that more and more people want government to do things for them that they could have done themselves. A minute of research would tell you have many calories in a popcorn, scone, etc.


44 posted on 08/03/2008 9:49:01 AM PDT by GOP_Lady
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To: John123
Is there a relationship between fiber and colon cancer?

Although not an MD, there have been several studies over the year contending a link between rotting food accumulating in the colon and cancer. There have been other studies claiming no link at all. I will have to defer to wiki on this one:

The comparison of colorectal cancer incidence in various countries strongly suggests that sedentarity, overeating (i.e., high caloric intake), and perhaps a diet high in meat (red or processed) could increase the risk of colorectal cancer. In contrast, a healthy body weight, physical fitness, and good nutrition decreases cancer risk in general. Accordingly, lifestyle changes could decrease the risk of colorectal cancer as much as 60-80%.[42]

A high intake of dietary fiber (from eating fruits, vegetables, cereals, and other high fiber food products) has, until recently, been thought to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer and adenoma. In the largest study ever to examine this theory (88,757 subjects tracked over 16 years), it has been found that a fiber rich diet does not reduce the risk of colon cancer. [43] A 2005 meta-analysis study further supports these findings.[44]

The Harvard School of Public Health states: "Health Effects of Eating Fiber: Long heralded as part of a healthy diet, fiber appears to reduce the risk of developing various conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, diverticular disease, and constipation. Despite what many people may think, however, fiber probably has little, if any effect on colon cancer risk." [45]

45 posted on 08/03/2008 9:51:43 AM PDT by Clemenza (McCain/Palin; Maverick and the MILF)
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To: GOP_Lady

Popcorn doesn’t have to have that many calories! I snack on popcorn I’ve popped in a microwave popper, and just drizzle a couple of teaspoons of olive oil on it. It’s not a huge amount of popped corn, and the olive oil is good for you. I just don’t drown it in EVO and/or butter. That way, the calorie count isn’t off the charts.


46 posted on 08/03/2008 9:52:30 AM PDT by FixedandDilated
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To: Clemenza

There’s a pretty high correlation between family history and colorectal cancer. A person has to be cautious when choosing their ancestors. ;)


47 posted on 08/03/2008 9:54:40 AM PDT by FixedandDilated
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To: FixedandDilated

Exactly. I love Olive Oil — put it on a lot of things.


48 posted on 08/03/2008 9:55:12 AM PDT by GOP_Lady
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To: GOP_Lady

I knew about popcorn (canola ie rapeseed oil is used a generously in popping the corn), never really thought about the cookie. I would have been about 100 calories off if I would have guessed.


49 posted on 08/03/2008 9:55:23 AM PDT by Clemenza (McCain/Palin; Maverick and the MILF)
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To: mngran2
Obesity Gov't police at it again.

Liberals hate the "evil multinational fast food chains". This will help to dramatically decrease their business.

50 posted on 08/03/2008 9:56:41 AM PDT by what's up
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To: FixedandDilated

Here’s a page that has an article about the genetic connection for colon cancer:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/10/031014071619.htm

There are also links to other articles about colon cancer and genetics, and an article about fruits, veggies and colon cancer risks.


51 posted on 08/03/2008 9:59:27 AM PDT by FixedandDilated
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To: Clemenza
Not very conclusive huh? :)

However, I have heard the Lion has a much shorter intestines than Humans do... and this is why we need to eat more fiber to help the intestines push the rotting meat out the body...

52 posted on 08/03/2008 10:00:28 AM PDT by John123 (Obambi said that he has been in 57 states. I will now light myself on fire...)
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To: what's up
evil multinational fast food chains

liberals are driving up prices on everything these days with lawsuits, ethanol subsidies and food regulations.

53 posted on 08/03/2008 10:01:43 AM PDT by alrea
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To: fooman
I have been trying to drop about 15 pounds and get in shape. Why is it that I am sympathetic to this?

I've been trying to lose 10 pounds and can't seem to do it. I would love to see the calories on menus where I live, especially when one cookie is 440 calories...


54 posted on 08/03/2008 10:02:28 AM PDT by Dr. Scarpetta
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To: GOP_Lady

But you can’t do that research very easily when standing in line at a Starbucks or at a movie theatre.

I’m not sure what the whole uproar over this law on FR is all about (other than the fact that NYC is depised). We get calorie counts on everything in a grocery store as soon as we pick up an item...what’s so wrong with requiring all the info likewise be placed right in front of us in a fast food joint?

As a NYer, this is one of my favorite NYC laws in the past decade. It hasn’t taken away any of my autonomy, but provides full disclosure so that if I want to, I can make better choices when eating on the fly (”There’s HOW MANY CALORIES IN THAT DONUT?”)


55 posted on 08/03/2008 10:06:39 AM PDT by cammie
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To: fooman
i recently dropped 12 pounds... i started checking into the calories in the food at my favorite chain restaurants... much to my dismay, this one salad that i love to eat at Chili's has over 1,000 calories! i'm not going nuts about the food i'm eating... i love food and continue to enjoy it... i just ensure that i take in less calories than i was before and burn more throughout the day... if i take more calories than i should, i do extra on the treadmill... i began parking my car farther out... i walk a little faster, dance around the house a little more... my kids just got a trampoline and i've bouncing on that every morning... it's fun, but harder than it looks...

the key is to take in less, burn more... dropping the 12 pounds was somewhat difficult, i think because i didn't have much to lose... i went from 132 to 120 at 5'5"... i didn't even drop a whole dress size, but i do look much better in my same ol' clothes...

56 posted on 08/03/2008 10:10:29 AM PDT by latina4dubya
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To: latina4dubya

Good for you!


57 posted on 08/03/2008 10:11:52 AM PDT by Dr. Scarpetta
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To: cammie
You can do your research online at their website before you go in.
58 posted on 08/03/2008 10:16:00 AM PDT by GOP_Lady
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To: latina4dubya

COOL! May I have 10 of those pounds, please. :-)


59 posted on 08/03/2008 10:16:25 AM PDT by GOP_Lady
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To: Rudder
If it's under 1,000 cal, it ain't a meal.

No wonder the Army went to the MRE and give you three per day.

"All together, this meal contains 210 calories for the chicken, 160 calories for the rice, 180 calories for the crackers, 130 calories for the cereal bar and 140 calories for the drink, jelly, etc., for a total of 820 calories for the meal."


60 posted on 08/03/2008 10:19:54 AM PDT by Arrowhead1952 (A vote for any Democrat from BO on down the ticket is a vote for $10 a gallon gas.)
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