22-3 |
An industry of choice for good nutrition |
S. R. COHN, National Restaurant Association, 1200 17th St. N.W., Washington, DC 20036 It has been all over the news. Every time we turn on our televisions or open a magazine, we see another report on how Americans are getting larger and larger. With all of this growing attention, people in all fields and professions have been quick to point fingers to find simplistic underlying causes of this epidemic. In this fit of panic to find a culprit, and consequently, a cure, numerous fingers have been pointed at the restaurant industry. Headlines such as “If you’re trying to lose weight, ever-growing portions aren’t helping,” “Jumbo food portions are producing jumbo Americans” and “Big bigger superbig” are everywhere we look. Some like to target food because they wrongly equate the health consequences of fat consumption to that of smoking or excessive alcohol consumption. But it is naïve and overly simplistic to attribute overweight conditions to a particular food item or portion size. This presentation will provide an in-depth look at how the increased attention on America’s expanding waistlines has affected the restaurant industry and what we are doing to combat this negative attention. In addition, focus will be placed on consumer choices, expectations, and satisfaction when dining in our nation’s restaurants.
Session 22, The politics of obesity
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