Health Care Reform Promotes Nutrition Awareness

03/24/2010

Pursuing a healthy lifestyle can contribute to significantly lower premiums on life and health insurance.

A provision in the health care reform bill may make it easier to do this by requiring certain restaurants and vending machines to provide calorie counts for the food they serve. Title IV., Prevention of Chronic Disease and Improving Public Health, also offers information to state and health care officials about preventing obesity-related issues for Americans on Medicaid.

Information about calorie counts is already required in some areas like New York City, Seattle and California, according to a recent report by the Associated Press. The new provision will make this information, which is sometimes placed on a food wrapper or in restaurant hallways, significantly more visible.

"The nutrition information is right on the menu or menu board next to the name of the menu item, rather than in a pamphlet or in tiny print on a poster, so that consumers can see it when they are making ordering decisions," Iowa Senator Tom Harkin was quoted as saying.

First Lady Michelle Obama has also taken action to fight childhood obesity. Earlier this year, she launched the "Let's Move" campaign in an effort to equip educators with the appropriate tools to promote healthy lifestyle choices.

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