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ObamaCare Meets the Big Mac



By Jhee Yoon

It may have taken the Supreme Court to get involved, but you’re about to get more information on those Big Macs and McNuggets. That’s thanks to a generally overlooked provision in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, more famous, of course, as ObamaCare.

Section 4205 requires fast food chains and similar retain food establishments with more than 20 locations to post nutritional information directly on their menu boards. And now that SCOTUS has said ObamaCare is constitutional, McDonalds and all the other chains are releasing their plans for compliance, getting ready to highlight just how many calories and how much fat, sugar and sodium is in some of America’s favorite and most accessible foods.

The goal, of course, is to help consumers select healthier options. The national restaurant industry generally did not vigorously oppose the move, acknowledging that a national approach would be less challenging than dealing with the hodgepodge of local regulations which have been emerging.

For McDonald’s, that means changes have to be implemented at 14,000 outlets across the country. McDonalds USA President Jan Fields accented the positive at a Washington, DC news conference, describing the effort as “the latest addition to McDonald’s efforts to be a healthier food chain.”

“As a company that has provided nutrition information for more than 30 years, we are pleased to add to the ways we make nutrition information available to our customers and employees,” she said.

Asian Americans Take Note

As America struggles with the obesity epidemic, Asian Americans are not immune. We tend to think of ourselves as slimmer than the general population, but that is changing. In fact, we are catching up to everyone else. According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2009, 33.4 percent of Asians in the United States were overweight, compared to 34.7 percent of non-Hispanic whites who were overweight. So we need to pay attention to what we’re eating, and the enhanced disclosure should help us make healthier choices. Even at McDonalds.

At the Washington news conference, McDonalds USA representatives reminded everyone that McDonald’s has already introduced its “Favorites under 400” menu and 600-Calorie meal options, with yogurt, salad, apple slices and grilled chicken sandwich selections. They said they’re testing healthier choices for the menu, adding more fruits, vegetables and low-fat selections, while working to reduce sodium and sugars.

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