Mayor Makes Menu

“Eat what’s on your plate!” Our mother’s used to tell us that. Now it’s our mayor. Bloomberg is imposing new nutritional standards on the 225 million meals and snacks the city cooks up every year. This policy will improve food in public schools, shelters, hospitals and senior citizen centers. The mayor believes this is within his jurisdiction. Like mom said, “If you don’t want to eat, go to your room!,” the mayor says, “You don’t have to take city food.” We can’t really argue with mom or the mayor looking to serve healthy food.

Reading Between The New Menu's Fine Print

The city’s Board of Health votes tomorrow on whether to add calorie data to fast-food menus. This law would target restaurants with 15 or more locations; an estimated 10,000 places citywide. New York City Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden believes eateries should be "proud" to display this data rather than fight to suppress it. That may be true Commissioner but if this info is so vital to our health, why shouldn’t ALL NYC food establishments have the same rules? Aren’t the rich and even top-level government officials too, deserving of the same protections as those who patronize fast food joints? Shouldn’t the city’s best French restaurants and steakhouses be as "proud" to display calorie data as a McDonalds or Taco Bell franchise, Commissioner? Why the focus to ram a law down the throats of only a very small percentage of places where some New Yorkers eat? Something doesn’t smell right here … and the bad odor isn’t coming from the kitchen.