Nutritional Information on Restaurant Menus in Prince George’s County, MD By: Claudia Jones Service Project 21 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%

Obesity among Adults, Children and Adolescents BMIClassification 18.5 to 24.9Normal weight 25 to 29.9Overweight 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 are obese 27.9% ages % ages % 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 States 69% 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: utrition/ucm htm utrition/ucm 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

Additional Resources USDA ChooseMyPlate.gov FDA Nutritional Facts labels: Healthy People 2020: Nutrition and Weight Status: Lets Move: America’s Move to Raise a Healthier Generation of Kids:

References CDC (2014). Overweight and Obesity. Retrieved July 19, 2014, from Center for Science in the Public Interest (2013). Nutrition Labeling at Fast-Food and Other Chain Restaurants. Retrieved Aug 3, 2014, from FDA (2013). Menu & Vending Machines Labeling Requirements. Retrieved July 19, 2014, from Lets Move (2014). America’s Move to Raise a Healthier Generation of Kids. Retrieved July 10, 2014, from National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (2012). What Are the Health Risks of Overweight and Obesity? Retrieved July 20, 2012, from National Institute of Health (2014). Weight-control Information Network: Overweight and Obesity Statistics. Retrieved July 10, 2014, from

References Prince George’s Plan 2035 (2012). Fighting Prince George’s Battle of the Bulge. Retrieved July 20, 2014, from Trust for America’s Health(2014). F as in Fat: The State of Obesity Maryland. Retrieved July 19, 2014, from

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