New Yorkers try to swallow calorie sticker shock

By Roni Caryn Rabin
MSNBC contributor
updated 5:34 a.m. MT, Wed., July. 16, 2008

Nora Cara was flabbergasted.

She was about to order her usual morning coffee and muffin at Dunkin’ Donuts when she saw the new calorie labels. The chocolate chip muffin she had her eye on was 630 calories.

“I was blown away,” said Cara, a 27-year-old homemaker from Forest Hills in New York City. “I’m not a no-carb type of person, and I usually don’t even think about it. But you pick up a little muffin with your coffee, and it has 630 calories in it? That’s a bit extreme!”

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.

“My daughter warned me about them,” he lamented. “I just didn’t listen.”

Preventing diabetes
Putting the brakes on thoughtlessly inhaling calories is exactly the effect New York City health officials hoped the law would have. They say calorie labels could reduce the number of obese New Yorkers by 150,000 over the next five years, and prevent 30,000 cases of diabetes.

New York is not the only city pushing calorie labels. New laws in Seattle and California’s Santa Clara and San Francisco are scheduled to go into effect later this year, including some more stringent than New York’s, requiring restaurants to post information about sodium, carbs, fats and cholesterol in addition to calories.

Such laws have faced stiff opposition and legal challenges from the restaurant industry. A judge struck down New York City’s first calorie labeling law, which would only have applied to fast food restaurants that were already making calorie information available on Web sites or posters. The law was then revised to apply to all chain restaurants with 15 or more outlets nationwide.

“We’re still in court, but the ruling is in effect,” said New York City health department spokeswoman Jessica Scaperotti. Fines for the restaurants who haven't posted calorie counts by Friday will range from $200 to $2,000 depending on the violation, she said.
Scaperotti said she didn't know what impact the calorie labels have made on consumer choices or sales. But, she said, “We know nutritional information is effective. If you go to the Starbucks near our office in lower Manhattan, the little cookies that are 80 calories each — they’re the first ones to go.”

1,360 calorie salad
Many New Yorkers are finding that even the foods they thought were lower calorie really aren’t. Vicki Freedman, who lives in Manhattan, watches her weight and always tries to choose a light option when eating out. But the 26 year old just discovered that the Friday’s pecan-crusted chicken salad, served with mandarin oranges, dried cranberries and celery, has 1,360 calories.

“That surprised me the most because they market it as a healthy option,” she said. “It’s like false advertising. You think it’s better than the burger and the fries. It’s misleading.” (The cheeseburger served with fries is, indeed, 1,290 calories.)

Meals ordered at sit-down chain restaurants may have more calories than typical takeout fast-food, nutritionists say, because the portions are often larger and an entrée can be served on a plate smothered with French fries. In a takeout restaurant, the fries have to fit into a container, which limits the portion size.

Managers at some restaurants, including an Upper East Side Johnny Rocket’s and Outback Steakhouse, said new menus including calorie counts would be on tables by Friday, or shortly thereafter.

“We’re concerned,” acknowledged Eric Hagy, proprietor of Outback Steakhouse on Third Avenue in Manhattan. “I don’t know what effect it will have, but it will bring people’s attention to certain items that are high in calories, like the Bloomin’ Onion appetizer. It has over 2,000 calories, but it’s meant to be shared between two or three people.”

At a Starbucks on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, barista Bishoy Ayoub, 18, said he’s noticed many customers switching to smaller drinks or reduced-fat drinks since calorie labels were posted several months ago.

‘Take off the labels’
“Some people actually tell us we should take off the labels, because it discourages them from ordering what they want,” he said. “But I think honesty is the best policy.”

At a Wendy’s nearby, where calorie counts were just posted next to prices on the menu-boards behind the counter, customers didn’t flinch. “I figure I’ve got 1,350 calories here on my tray,” said Tristan Rowe, 26, who lives in Brooklyn, pointing to his lunch of a chicken club sandwich, junior bacon-cheeseburger, large fries and a large Coke (which actually added up to 1,680 calories). “It’s not going to change what I order — I’m not watching my waistline. I have a very active lifestyle.”

Despite the eye-opening revelations, whether New Yorkers will switch to lower calorie meals remains to be seen. They may just switch menus.

That’s what Fowler, the woman who was dining recently with her friends at T.G.I. Friday's, decided to do.

“I’m so upset,” she said, noting some entrees — like the Jack Daniels ribs and shrimp dinner — contain almost 2,000 calories, and the desserts were more of the same (the brownie obsession is 1,500 calories). “I wish they wouldn’t have done this.”

But then Fowler noticed that the waiter had handed her friend an old menu, which didn’t have calorie counts on it.

“You got a menu without anything on it?” she asked her friend. “Can I have yours?”

Yup, it blows my mind exactly how unaware people are of what they're putting in their bodies.  And having the calories up on the website does no good, as most people don't go look it up!  If it's not staring them in the face, they choose to ignore it, and then wonder why their pants no longer fit...   

I hate the calories on the menu!  I eat out once a week and I'm not overweight or anything...but once I see the calories I never can order what I want.  I always end up getting something that has less calories that I don't like.  I struggled with anorexia for a long time and seeing the calories in everything all the time brings it all back.  I have tried to get away from counting calories because it gets me into trouble.  I just try not to look at the numbers but it doesn't work!

I think it should be optional.  But I guess it is good for some people.

I hears about this on cnn a few months back. Im so glad this is getting put into place. America has a huge problem with obesity...I am one of those people. I know it sounds redundant that I would eat it if I did not know the calories, but its true. When I found out that Carls Jr home of my fave guacamole burger...Which is too large to eat in one sitting, was 1800 calories...I about fainted. And I have not ordered it since. Iv just got into the whole "lets not eat out anymore" thing and this will help me stick to it. BRAVO to all the sources that pushed companies into showing us the reason for all this fat around my belly and thighs....I refuse to take the blame...lol not really I know I binge eat....

On the one hand, I think this is a great idea, because it would help me greatly, but on the other hand...when you go out for a special dinner or lunch, you want the freedom to enjoy a good meal without the guilt.  So maybe there could be a "birthday/anniversary/graduation/promotion/reunion" menu or something. 

And there is a good point that those of us who are in recovery from eating disorders easily get fixated on those numbers, but it's kind of like being in recovery for anything else...at some point you have to face the temptation and be able to walk away from it.

Personally I think it is silly.

If you care about your calories you are going to take note or have an idea or ask for the information (which they have always had to have available from what I understand).

I highly doubt, in the long run, it will prevent the 300lb dude from eating his two donuts with morning coffee that he gets at the drive thru.

It is the big brother affect and though I agree we as a nation are way too fat I do not think this will help the situation at all.



My mother knows how many calories are in a tub of potato sticks, it says so right on the tub, she is fat, she still eats the whole tub and then wonders why she is fat and can not loose weight.

So putting the calories on things will not help most people after the shock of them being there has worn off.

I do think it is important that they have nutritional information available for people that do want it.

I think though it may make restaurant's have better portion selections. Its like the WW menu choices on applebees menus. Its the same food they serve but smaller portions. Also fish without tons of crap and cheese would be a nice option.

People need to really improve their portion mentality. My husband scoops me a bowl of ice cream and its enough for 3 people.    I end up putting it in the freezer to finish tomorrow. I told him a serving was 1/2 cup, he had it in his mind that it wasnt enough because it doesnt look like enough. Putting it in a small cup vs a gigantic cereal bowl makes a difference. He still wants more, I tell him if hes still hungry to eat some of the leftover veggies and rice. 

I say good.  If it helps people make healthier choices, I'm all for it.  The US is getting fatter and fatter and fatter.  Apparently individuals are not able to stop themselves, and when news reports are talking about cholesterol drugs for KIDS, something has to be done.  That's disgusting. 

I also think it's a two pronged attack.  Make safe outdoor places for kids to play.  Eating well is one thing, exercise is another important component.  Don't cut recess time because of some stupid "No Child Left Behind" policy, where all that matters is test scores, so the more practice kids get at taking the test, the better they do. 

I would eat a 1300 calorie meal once in awhile.  But it wouldn't be part of two other full meals that day.  Complemented by snacks.  Maybe followed by a pint of ice cream while watching tv that night. 

One high calorie meal isn't the end of the world.  A life filled with them is.   

Compulsive Overeating is just as much a disorder as Anorexia Nervosa.

If someone is unable to control their eating habits, it's an eating disorder. Saying that she wonders why she can't lose weight implied she is unable to control her eating habits.

So often people are quick to say fat people are lazy or stupid, and skinny people are lucky or if they're too skinny, labeled as "anorexic". (not by doctors, but their friends or the general public.) Someone who eats too much is not simply lazy. Each person is different in how they eat or diet.

I was merely pointing out that someone who cannot stop themselves from eating too much but they wish to lose weight, could potentially have COE. I would rather eat a bunch of junk food than limit myself, most people would. However, there are people who don't mind being overweight or even enjoy it, and don't complain. Someone who constantly complains that they cannot stop overeating, however they may complain about it, could have COE.

I wasn't trying to insult you or your mom.

I'm sorry... there's no reason a meal should contain 95-100% of your daily caloric intake.   No wonder people in this country are so obese... really... with this type of marketing and feeding more more more down our collective cake-holes!

And the people who don't want to see it?  I'm sorry. I think it's a good idea. Understand what you're putting in your body.  People who don't care about calories (like my dad) don't care... and will eat what they like.  Like the Wendy's guy in the article.  -- But it might cause some pause in someone who thinks they're doing good in watching what they eat by eating a chicken and walnut salad and really it's 1,300 calories.

(that is due to dressing, nuts, toppings) -- when you learn to be smart about calories and food you can anticipate things and make changes. Dressing on the side, nuts on the side... don't add the whole amount of either, etc.   Don't eat the whole salad (which is probably on a plate twice the size of your HEAD)

If you don't see the label does that mean that the steak and shrimp isn't 1700 calories or the Awesome Blossom and sauce isn't 2000?    Get real!
Sticking your head in the sand doesn't help - it helps you indulge in denial.   And if you really want to eat this kind of food? By all means eat it -- just know what you're getting into so you can decide if you want to eat the whole thing or, better still, split it with a friend.    If the calorie count freak