Health Department ads teach calorie lessons

“If this is lunch, where’s room for dinner?” is a phrase many New Yorkers will be getting used to in the coming weeks.
It’s part of the Health Department’s new campaign on educating New York about daily calorie intake. As many know by now, 2,000 calories is the amount adults should take in every day.
However, it’s very easy to quickly pass that number in one day. Eating meals that offer half of the daily intake, like fast foods, and not regularly exercising could lead to becoming overweight.
The new campaign by the Department of Health, which was launched on October 6, goes hand in hand with the calorie-posting law that took effect just this summer. The New York City Health Code now requires chain restaurants to post calorie counts for food items on menus and menu boards.
The ads show that even though these particular foods are delicious, they pack a punch when it comes to calories.
One ad features a chicken burrito with all the toppings, among them some avocado and diced tomatoes. Though tasty to the naked eye, this wrap-snack delivers more than half of the calories allowed in one day; over 1,100.
Another ad features an apple raisin muffin that has 470 calories and begs the question, “Healthy snack? Maybe not.”
Cathy Nonas, director of the Health Department’s Physical Activity and Nutrition program said that if you chose to eat this snack, “you may want to split it with a friend.”
Nonas, also a registered dietician, also spoke about the significant change the calorie campaign could bring to many New Yorkers’ lives. “Many people end up overweight just by going with the flow,” Nonas said. “Now that this information is available in chain restaurants, it’s easy to make healthier choices. Once you set a daily calorie budget, there are lots of ways to live within it.”
Two ads focus on comparing the calorie difference that exists between sub sandwiches and burgers.
Though both are delicious depending on one’s taste palate, choosing a roast beef sub over a tuna sub saves you 140 calories.
The big difference occurs when comparing two double cheeseburger meals. A double cheeseburger with small fries and a diet soda contains 670 calories, while the double cheeseburger meal with large fries and a regular soda carries an eye-opening 1,250 calories.
The ads do not only give vital information to all New Yorkers, but also reassures them that no major life change is needed to maintain the average 2,000 calories per day.
Surveys by the D.O.H. have shown that when restaurant patrons pick their orders based on calorie information, they average nearly 100 calories fewer in each meal. The D.O.H. estimates that calorie postings will prevent more than 30,000 cases of diabetes and reduce the number of people who suffer from obesity by 150,000 over the next five years.
To see the ads and obtain information concerning physical activity and a healthy diet, visit nyc.gov/health on the web.