fast food

They say you are what you eat. But even when people are fully aware of what they're consuming -- it doesn't seem to make a difference.

A new study by a New York University School of Medicine professor found that mandated calorie labels on fast food restaurant menus did little to sway consumers' choices, writesRick Attig of the Oregonian.

The data comes from New York, the first U.S. state to pass such sweeping legislation. The study focused on McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King and Kentucky Fried Chicken chains in impoverished neighborhoods, where rates of obesity and diabetes are often higher. Researchers collected receipts and compared orders taken two weeks before and one month after the city adopted calorie count ordinances.

While they discovered that the percentage of people who noticed the nutrition information skyrocketed (and almost 90 percent said they selected fewer calories in response), there were no significant differences in the average calories customers consumed before and after the law went into effect. In fact, in many cases, people ordered more.

It's not exactly good news for calorie posting laws developing in other states, where posting calories and banning fast food have already been disputed as effective obesity tools.

Yet, in a 2007 survey, 69 percent of Oregon residents told Northwest Health Foundation they'd like to see calorie counts on menus. They got their wish in spring this year when the House voted 44-14 in favor of such a bill.

Today marks the beginning of the end for those nasty trans fats at restaurants, schools and other  establishments serving food to the public in British Columbia, writes Richard Watts of the Victoria Times Colonist.

At first restaurants that violate the rules will be warned, but fines are expected to be levied starting in a few weeks.

The changes will show up in margarines and oils, where trans fats can make up no more than 2 percent of all fats in the dish. Other foods must have no more than 5 percent trans fats.

The artery-clogging trans fats are created in heating oil to very high temperatures, and they are implicated in the deaths of some 3,000 Canadians annually.

Fast-food outlets are particularly reliant on foods with high contents of trans fats. The Calorie Counter blog tracked quantified the 88 worst dishes one could eat, trans fats-wise, at fast food joints, although the list appears to be U.S. outlets only. We're pretty sure you'd find plenty of trans fats at the likes of Tim Hortons and White Spot, though. Perhaps they will be finding alternatives now.

-- Robert McClure