Adding calories to Restaurant Menus

[VincentGuerin]

I think this is a good thing.

This country is full of people who are dangerously fat, and diet is much more important than exercise in tackling obesity.

I can live with people being a bit uncomfortable about seeing the truth of what they're ordering written down in black and white. This country needs a huge shift in its attitude to diet.

[hk blues]

15 hours ago, HeartsOfficialMoaner said:

It's not always the case but higher calories usually means it tastes good.

Is that why vegans are such miserable c***s?

[Albus Bulbasaur]

I don't like looking at fat people. 

[Benjamin_Nevis]

18 minutes ago, Albus Bulbasaur said:

I don't like looking at fat people. 

You should probably stop going to Ibrox in that case tbh 

[Albus Bulbasaur]

1 minute ago, Day of the Lords said:

You should probably stop going to Ibrox in that case tbh 

It's the UK we live in. The damage is done usually 10 steps out of the door. 

[The Moonster]

I'm not sure this is being rolled out to stop obesity. It's simply a tool to allow those who want to count this stuff to do so in places they couldn't before. I find it strange that people on here find fat people so disgusting and get so angry about it but then say "what good will that do?" when a perfectly reasonable step (that inconveniences absolutely nobody on here) is taken to help people make informed food choices. 

[Leith Green]

4 minutes ago, oaksoft said:

If you don't identify and sort out the root cause of the destructive behaviour you can't properly fix the problem

Yeah, but surely tying fat peoples hands behind their back every weekend would be an infringement of their human rights?

[scottsdad]

What I find interesting is how precise these are. For instance, a latte at Greggs will list 111 calories. Now, if someone at Greggs made ten lattes and then someone measured the calories in them, I doubt you'd get the same answer twice. It should be an approximate/average. A splash extra milk makes a difference. Why not just say "Approx. 110 calories" or something.

For me, I was told in December that to maintain my weight (19 stone 10 at the time; I am 6 foot 4) I would need to take in 2700 calories a day and do almost no exercise.  Since then I have cut down on drinking alcohol (a pint has as roughly many calories as a mars bar - think on that next time you're sinking 5 or 6) and have gone to the gym 2-3 times per week.  But that number (2700 per day) will vary for people depending on height, weight and activity level. It is probably less for me now. 

What I'm saying is that the calories number is interesting to me but take it with a pinch of salt. And there is more to watching your weight than just counting calories. You need to consider health in the round - exercise, eating a balanced diet (which includes fats), sleep, alcohol/tobacco/drugs and so on. 

[hk blues]

7 minutes ago, scottsdad said:

What I find interesting is how precise these are. For instance, a latte at Greggs will list 111 calories. Now, if someone at Greggs made ten lattes and then someone measured the calories in them, I doubt you'd get the same answer twice. It should be an approximate/average. A splash extra milk makes a difference. Why not just say "Approx. 110 calories" or something.

For me, I was told in December that to maintain my weight (19 stone 10 at the time; I am 6 foot 4) I would need to take in 2700 calories a day and do almost no exercise.  Since then I have cut down on drinking alcohol (a pint has as roughly many calories as a mars bar - think on that next time you're sinking 5 or 6) and have gone to the gym 2-3 times per week.  But that number (2700 per day) will vary for people depending on height, weight and activity level. It is probably less for me now. 

What I'm saying is that the calories number is interesting to me but take it with a pinch of salt. And there is more to watching your weight than just counting calories. You need to consider health in the round - exercise, eating a balanced diet (which includes fats), sleep, alcohol/tobacco/drugs and so on. 

Excellent decision given salt has no calories. 

[Detournement]

17 minutes ago, oaksoft said:

The issue is takeaway food but the problem is that even thought McDonald's provide a full sheet of all nutrition in all of their foods already, I'd be surprised if anyone reads it.

Any meal from a takeaway is probably going to take up about half the recommended daily calorie intake for a reasonably active person.

It would be interesting to see some average daily calorie intake numbers for people in the country. Not sure if those numbers have been estimated or not. It should be around 2000-2500 for a reasonably active (30 mins walking per day) person but I'd be surprised if it was less than 3000-4000 for the typical person who is not really active at all.

 

If people are eating 1000 extra calories a day it would result in roughly a pound in weight gain every week and somewhere around 3 stones a year. Very few people are doing that over the course of a year never mind constantly.

I often read about something or other containing half the recommended daily calories but I don't see how that's a big deal as long as the person eats two other meals at 1/4 of the recommended daily allowance. That seems about right. 

 

[Todd_is_God]

13 minutes ago, scottsdad said:

It should be an approximate/average.

It is. A number of samples are sent to a lab, combined, analysed and averaged out.

[scottsdad]

2 minutes ago, Todd_is_God said:

It is. A number of samples are sent to a lab, combined, analysed and averaged out.

Maybe I wasn't clear when i wrote my earlier post. Why be precise to the kcal when presenting this? The fact the latte says 111 makes people think it is precise when it isn't. 

It's a significant figures thing for me. 

[velo army]

34 minutes ago, oaksoft said:

The problem is that focussing on calorie intake is also the most efficient way to put weight back on again.

People over-eat and drink for similar reasons to those taking drugs and gambling.

It's all about comfort behaviour and subsequent addiction.

If you don't identify and sort out the root cause of the destructive behaviour you can't properly fix the problem.

I agree massively with the last two paragraphs, but in my direct and indirect experience calorie counting plays no part in this. In fact, people who do as you described will turn their Nelson eye to the calorie count. 

Why do you think a focus on calorie count leads to people putting weight back on?

[ICTChris]

I had to be weighed for a hospital appointment today and clearly the printing of weights on menus didn't come quick enough.

[Duffy_]

I'd quite like to see it in Scotland from a personal perspective, for those who are consciously counting calories for whatever reason it makes things a bit easier. 

I can see the argument for not doing it given the impact on people with eating disorders at whatnot though. 

[Soapy FFC]

59 minutes ago, oaksoft said:

The issue is takeaway food but the problem is that even thought McDonald's provide a full sheet of all nutrition in all of their foods already, I'd be surprised if anyone reads it.

Any meal from a takeaway is probably going to take up about half the recommended daily calorie intake for a reasonably active person.

 

We were talking about takeaway portions, specifically Chinese, last week. I think that the portion sizes have increased dramatically from most of the Chinese takeaways compared to what they were a few years ago. My anecdotal evidence for this is that I generally only eat half the rice and just over half the main dish now, whereas I used to eat the whole lot. Maybe I'm just getting old and fill up easier, but given the size I am I don't think I'm eating a smaller portion compared to a few years ago.

[Leith Green]

22 minutes ago, velo army said:

Why do you think a focus on calorie count leads to people putting weight back on?

It doesnt for everyone, in fact when I have been aiming to lose a bit I used my Garmin in conjunction with My fitness pal to work out calories in / burned via exercise etc.

Not 100% accurate, but it does slow down my instinct to ram biscuits down my throat and has worked for me.

Flipside is that it doesnt work for my wife who uses dance classes for exercise and uses intermittent fasting - she never looks at calories.

I guess the calorie on menus thing is just one of any number of tools people can use?

One things for sure, we have a huge issue with overeating / drinking high cal drinks in this country - its not all the fault of the fatties, food production companies hide sugar and fat in foods (which is why home cooking is generally healthier) to make it tastier.

I am also convinced that Uber Eats/Just eat etc are bad news - I mean 30 years ago if you wanted a takeaway you at least walked to the chippy............I have neighbours who get their fuckin breakfast delivered, ffs.

[topcat(The most tip top)]

1 hour ago, oaksoft said:

The issue is takeaway food

^^^ Piss poor home cook who doesn't use enough butter in sauces and insults guests with miserly portions

[The Moonster]

6 minutes ago, oaksoft said:

 

Also, you can't just make up "facts" from your imagination.

Have you not met Detournement before? 

[topcat(The most tip top)]

6 minutes ago, oaksoft said:

Hmmmmph!!!

First of all, I'm a great cook and usually cook fresh meat instead of highly processed food. 

And secondly, I get around the guest issue by not having guests. 

Maybe if you served the meat with a good peppercorn sauce made with cream and brandy then more of your dinner invitations would be accepted!

Edited April 7, 2022 by topcat(The most tip top)