The reason for these requirements is to get people to stop and think about what they're going to be shoving into their mouths over the following few minutes. Chain restaurants usually serve calorie-dense foods in large amounts, so it's easy to consume a whole day's worth of calories in one sitting, without even realizing you're doing it. That's one of the reasons obesity has become such a problem.
So do the visual cues work? Maybe, but maybe not. According to a study done by researchers from New York University and Yale, the average calorie counts of meals purchased at fast food restaurants in low income areas of New York City actually increased after the calorie counts went on display. Reasons given by patrons included lack of interest in calories or more concern for price - being cheap was more important than being healthy.
I go to New York City several times each year, but with all the wonderful places to eat there, I don't go to any chain restaurants. So, if you have any experience with the calorie counts on the menus in New York City or Seattle, let me know if it made a difference for you. Did you change your intended order or did you throw caution to the wind and actually order more than you planned?
Here's a scenario for you. It's been a long day at work or school and you're on your way home. But you've been craving a sweet, delicious Mocha Moo Latte from Dairy Queen, so you make a quick detour to the closest DQ. As you walk into the restaurant, you think your biggest decision is whether to go with the medium or the large (maybe it was really long day). Then you look up to the menu board and you see the the bad news - the medium Mocha Moo Latte has 590 calories and the large has 830.
