Before yesterday, I'd never heard of Missouri State Rep. Jason Grill, but the young Democrat from the Kansas City area's 32nd district has sponsored a bill to put calorie information on menu boards. House Bill 755 would "require food service establishments that are
one of a group of 15 or more doing business nationally to display
calorie information to consumers on menu boards. The caloric
information will be required to be located alongside prices and similar
in size."
On his blog, Grill writes that Bill 755 is modeled after New York City's code, which California also based its bill on. As we've already reported, putting calories on menus does have an effect on people's eating habits, especially when it informs them that food they might have thought was good for them is anything but.
Grill's main opposition will come from chain restaurants just as it was in New York City. According to the Columbia Daily Tribune, the Missouri Restaurant Association opposes the bill.
If it doesn't pass, that's not because people don't support it, it's because Grill is before his time. As obesity continues to be a problem and people become more comfortable with calorie lists on menus, the idea will be less controversial. Yes, New York and California are liberal bastions but a similar bill just cleared the moderate state of Indiana's House of Representatives. From Indiana to Missouri isn't a stretch.
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