Does anyone go to that type of restaurant thinking they are going actually to get a healthy meal???

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the desire for huge portions sizes came first. obviously. more food for less money. america makes me sick. not that i can finish one of those more than half a day's calorie meals... i just get so sick of how rich they are before i'm half done. you didn't even mention the desserts. altho, i've been known to scarf down those 1000+ cal cheesecakes and ice creams

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Entertainingly, Ruby Tuesday's online menu gives the calorie count for its "smart eating choices" but not for the rest of the food (which are presumably "stupid eating choices"?).

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I avoid those places because of the unhealthy menus. My doctor would beat me with the furniture if I were caught eating there.

Darned if being diabetic and having a heart attack won't force one to eat healthy!

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Yes they do promote extreme eating although really it comes down to personal resposibility.

Check out comedian Patton Oswalt's "Steak". It's a hilarious take on how Sizzler has become the "guantlet of angry food". Very much on topic.

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If I remember correctly, someone reported that it is a cultural thing. Here in the US, to get our money's worth, we value "quantity" over quality and will perceive 1 pound of mediocre food being a "better deal" than 1/2 pound of high quality food of the same nature. Many other countries around the world value the quality of the food over the quantity. Here, restaurants are giving what the Americans ask for culturally...

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Broccoli and chicken pasta that comes in at over 2000 calories?
That's more than an woman is supposed to eat in a day!

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There is little conceptual difference between large chain dishes, and a product you buy on the shelf. Both are mass-produced according to corporate guidelines, so I see little reason for large chains to be exempted from offering nutritional information.

For the Chili's and Applebee's of the world, the costs of nutritional analysis are easy to absorb. A cursory web search reveals one can have a lab deliver a fully-populated nutritional panel for $250. I'm certain that large chains would minimize these costs further by either taking the analysis in-house, or through volume negotiation.

Mom-n-pops, and stores with a smaller installed base would obviously be affected more, and as such should be exempted from any such regulation. Here in Arizona, we were proposing requiring labelling for restaurants with A) 10 or more stores nationwide, and B) 5 or more stores within Arizona.

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large portions and mediocre food is why everyone in america thinks that they can be "top chef"
when 8 of 10 dishes are the same save 2 ingredients then thats not creation its money laundering

Stop going to the fake restaurants and look one up that is owned by someone from your town local restaurants listen to what their customers really want not what is going to change the bottom line by 4 cents a month

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Supersized seating triggers “booth wars”: http://calorielab.com/news/2005/09/20/supersized-seating-triggers-booth-wars/

The increasing level of obesity in the United States has created demand for larger and larger restaurant booths. The distance between the table and the back of the seat has traditionally been between 16 and 18 inches, however restaurants are now finding it necessary to order seats up to 24 inches.

Not surprisingly, two of the restaurants leading this charge are the Outback and the Claim Jumper. Claim Jumper in particular features a fried chicken dinner with 2,032 calories in the entree alone. Bear in mind that many will start a 1k+ calorie appetizer, and then follow it up with dessert.

At least their stuff does taste good by chain standards.

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Blaming the restaurants is just silly, but it's become the CSPI's raison d'être. Are pizza restaurants to be chastised if there's less than 4 people at a table ordering a large veggie pizza?

It may exist somewhere, but I haven't come across the restaurant that charges extra for a doggie bag or to-go box. If the portion's jumbo, bring some home. And most appetizers can be shared by the table, not wolfed down by a solo diner while waiting for their soup.

The giagantic desserts at Claim Jumper are legend, but I wonder how many people sit at the table and eat one of those solo? You might as well yell at Marie Callendar's for their giant-sized pies.

Luckily the CSPI is all bark and no bite. It would be fun to sic a 60 Minutes team on them sometime and find out where they head to lunch or dinner after work.

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what really chaps my hide is the horrible taco bell invention of fourthmeal. like we needed another daily event to stuff our faces with crappy food. thanks taco bell.

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"Their menus change so frequently" is such a BS excuse. Heck, I'd even let them sneak in a Servings: 2 or 3 in there just to keep the numbers down if it makes them happy. It's A Fact: People will make stupid decisions unless you give them information.

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Yes they probably do promote "extreme eating". But that is all it is; a promotional effort. People do choose to visit these places. If countries need to tackle their obesity problem then then we need to get back to basics and encourage people to cook. Healthy, tasty and quick food starts in the home.

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I am afraid this will be like every other "well intentioned" effort to educate. If you're already nutrition-conscious, you already understand that cheese and cream have calories in them. If you are, however, nutritionally challenged (shall we say), I just doubt strongly that adding calorie counts to a menu will make much difference to you, and to your choices. That's not why you're eating at Applebee's, ya know?

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I think that Micheal Schmitt and jason have the best arguments. A radical idea that could be effective is to pass a law that forbid selling a dish over a certain number of calories. If someone wants to eat more, they will be able to buy more plates. But that act can make you aware that you are going to eat too much.

Regulations are made to protect citizens. Almost everybody is weak in front of an oversize plate. So the USA must help its citizens. Education works only if someone wants to learn. Free speech and free enterprise must not take over the health of a nation.

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And then what a law that a bar can only serve you two drinks so no one gets drunk? People need to learn some self control and stop blaming everyone for their overindulgence.

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thank you for the kudos but i dissagree with the staement there should be a law on calories

I spend all year eating healthy and the few times i go to a restaurant as a customer i am there to enjoy the Experience of dining at its fullest so if on my birthday i want to eat a 24 oz porterhouse steak smothered in buttered mushrooms and followed by a large creme brulee i should be able to

This country needs to rebuild the family dinner time with better home prepared meals not the frozen crap - and dont give me some sob story about not having time cause i can make just about any dinner in my home in 30 minutes with planning

Save the dining out for vacations and special events

people that eat out 7 days a week are glutons and should be fat for their glutony

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"Almost everybody is weak in front of an oversize plate."

Is this because people were trained, as children, to clean their plates regardless of whether they were hungry?

It just doesn't occur to me to keep eating because there's still food on the plate -- I might as well ask for a doggie bag when I order, even at little local bistros -- but I staunchly resisted induction into the Clean Plate Club even as an urchin.

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many spelling mistakes - i know^^

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