In a dramatic turn of events in America, the food and drug administration recently announced new rules relating to calorie counts. Calorie counts will have to be put on menus – and that is whether you are at a restaurant or at the movie theatre – there will be a calorie count, on the popcorn too!  This is to place Americans in a better position to choose what they are eating and know what they are getting when they make a choice from the menu.  Until now, as is the case in South Africa, people are choosing blind, not realising how many calories are contained in the food they are eating.  It will also include calorie counts on alcoholic beverages as long as that drink is on the menu – it would not include something that you order at a bar.  

The new rules will only start at the end of 2015 in America and one hopes that we will learn from this, copy and implement it in South Africa.  You don’t have to invent the wheel when other countries are already leading the way with legislation like this and I don’t think we would pretend that South Africa does not also have its own obesity issues.  It certainly will, if nothing else, eliminate people from having the excuse that they did not know what they were eating and I think we need to have similar laws introduced here as soon as possible.