First, there were a handful of cities, such as New York, San Francisco, and Philadelphia, that required chain restaurants to disclose the calories in the foods they sell. Some counties followed suit. California joined in. Then, as part of the Affordable Care Act, Congress demanded calorie disclosure nationwide, but the new rules probably won't go into effect until late 2013. Now, McDonald's has decided to disclose ahead of the national law. As Reuters reports:
The world's No. 1 hamburger chain said on
Wednesday it is going to start listing calorie information on menus in
some 14,000 U.S. restaurants and drive-throughs – ahead of a national
rule that will require larger restaurant chains to make such
disclosures.
So, you're wondering. How many calories for a Big Mac and fries? About 1,050 — or more than half of the the appropriate daily intake for a (non-dieting) average adult male. That's bad, but nothing compared to Dave & Buster's new "South Philly Burger," served "with over half a pound of seasoned fries." That lovely dish is more than 2,000 calories itself!