Nutritional Information on Restaurant Menus in Prince George’s County, MD

By: Claudia JonesService Project21 July 2014

Learning Objectives

Understanding the importance of restaurant menus having nutritional labels

Understanding the Obesity Epidemic that is occurring in the United States, Southern Maryland & Prince George’s County and its effects

Having labels on menus makes restaurants hold accountability for producing quality food that is both healthy and tasteful to patrons

Restaurants adding nutritional information to their menus aids in the reduction of obesity rates in the United States as well as other health problems

Importance of Menu Labels

Low income urban areas have an increase of fast-food chains with a decrease in grocery stores

With parents working longer hours, families are more inclined to eating meals away from home instead of cooking

Provide selections for special diets such as Gluten-free, vegan and lower sodium and cholesterol

Obesity among the United States

35.7% of adults in the U.S. are obese

17% of children and adolescents between the age 2-19 years

Adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher are considered obese

Hispanic youth: 22.4% Black youth: 20.2% White youth: 14.1% Asian youth: 8.6%

http://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2013/08/21/study-ranks-hawaii-47th-out-of-51-in-obesity-rates

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Obesity among Adults, Children and Adolescents

BMI Classification

18.5 to 24.9 Normal weight

25 to 29.9 Overweight

30 + Obesity

40 + Extreme obesity

BMI of AdultsAge 20 and Older BMI of Children and Adolescents Ages 2-19

BMI of Children and Adolescents Ages 2–19 Classification

At or above the 85th percentile

Overweight or obese

At or above the 95th percentile Obese

Obesity in Maryland

Ranked at number 26 in the nation as the most obese

27.6% of adults are obese

28.7% of women are obese followed by 26.6% of men

11.8% of men and women 18-25 are obese

27.9% ages 26-44

34.4% ages 45-64

26.6% ages 65 or more

Obesity and Health Issues

Diabetes

Heart disease

Arthritis

Obesity-related cancer

Hypertension

Stroke

Premature death

Obesity in Schools

Nutrition in schools is highly important

School meals consist of high calories and not enough nutritional value

Educating students on nutrition and making right choices

Eliminating Obesity in Prince George’s County and the United

States69% of adults in the United States are overweight/obese

71.4% of adults in Prince George’s County are either overweight and or obese

16% of the states youth are overweight or obese in the county

71% the number of fast food restaurants in Prince George’s County

Access to fresh fruits and vegetables in local grocery stores as well as in a supportive environment like schools, work, restaurants and home

Goals of Nutritional Labels & Public Health

Address the growing obesity epidemic

Improve overall health outcomes

Lower BMI and obesity rates

Laws, Rules & Regulations

In 2010 President Obama signed the Health Care Reform legislation into law for Affordable Care Act that requires restaurants and retail food chains with more than 20 locations to list calorie content for menus along with other nutritional information

Vending machines are also required to disclose calorie content

The FDA has proposed two regulations that enable calorie labeling on menus in chain restaurants, retail food establishments and vending machine operators

link to proposed regulations: http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/LabelingNutrition/ucm248732.htm

Benefits of Nutritional Labels on Menus

By having nutritional labels at restaurants, individuals are able to make healthier responsible decisions on the foods they eat.

83% of U.S. consumers want restaurants to provide nutritional facts for a more healthier lifestyle

Can benefit in the aid of lower health conditions like hypertension, cholesterol, and rates of diabetes

Great way to address the obesity issue among urban areas in the United States

link to why nutritional labels are beneficial http://www.cspinet.org/nutritionpolicy/Nutrition_Labeling_Fast_Food.pdf

Additional Resources

USDA ChooseMyPlate.gov http://www.choosemyplate.gov

FDA Nutritional Facts labels: http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm387114.htm

Healthy People 2020: Nutrition and Weight Status: http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/objectiveslist.aspx?topicId=29

Lets Move: America’s Move to Raise a Healthier Generation of Kids: http://www.letsmove.gov/eat-healthy

References

CDC (2014). Overweight and Obesity. Retrieved July 19, 2014, from http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/childhood.html

Center for Science in the Public Interest (2013). Nutrition Labeling at Fast-Food and Other Chain Restaurants. Retrieved Aug 3, 2014, from http://www.cspinet.org/nutritionpolicy/Nutrition_Labeling_Fast_Food.pdf

FDA (2013). Menu & Vending Machines Labeling Requirements. Retrieved July 19, 2014, from http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/LabelingNutrition/ucm217762.htm

Lets Move (2014). America’s Move to Raise a Healthier Generation of Kids. Retrieved July 10, 2014, from http://www.letsmove.gov/eat-healthy

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (2012). What Are the Health Risks of Overweight and Obesity? Retrieved July 20, 2012, from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/obe/risks.html

National Institute of Health (2014). Weight-control Information Network: Overweight and Obesity Statistics. Retrieved July 10, 2014, from http://win.niddk.nih.gov/statistics/

References

Prince George’s Plan 2035 (2012). Fighting Prince George’s Battle of the Bulge. Retrieved July 20, 2014, from http://www.planpgc2035.com/news/fighting-prince-george’s-battle-bulge

Trust for America’s Health(2014). F as in Fat: The State of Obesity Maryland. Retrieved July 19, 2014, from http://www.fasinfat.org/states/md/

QUESTIONS???