In The News: Taking Back "the C Word"

Let's do this Vagina Monologues style. Ready?

Say it with me:

c-c-ca-ca-ca-calo.... calor-calor-caloriesssss!

How wonderfully liberating!

After a long period of foolishness where mainstream weight loss rhetoric focused on fat grams, carbohydrate grams, or what time of day you stopped eating, The New York Times -- in an article beautifully titled "Calories Do Count" -- reports that "good old calorie counting is coming back into fashion."

That's right -- after being dismissed by the likes of Gary Taubes and his ilk, calories are the new black!

Consumers are simply beginning to re-embrace the idea that successful, long-lasting weight loss comes with familiarizing themselves with calorie contents of foods, as opposed to eating unlimited amounts of foods that are simpy very low in carbohydrates or fats.

It is worth pointing out that this heightened caloric awareness is a direct result of labeling laws that take the guesswork out of ordering at many restaurant and takeout chains.

Meanwhile, restaurants -- profits firmly in mind -- are "jumping on the latest bandwagon."

"Dunkin’ Donuts recently added a low-calorie egg white breakfast sandwich, Così is using low-fat mayonnaise and McDonald’s large French fries have dropped to 500 calories this year from 570 last year."

Additionally, "Quiznos is testing smaller sizes and less-caloric sandwich fillings in its New York stores. At Le Pain Quotidien, which has 17 outlets in New York... the popular quiche Lorraine was trimmed to 6 ounces from 11, with extra salad filling out the plate."

Food manufacturers, meanwhile, will soon be catering to the "calorie trend" by printing calorie values on the front of their packaging.

Don't be surprised if, a few years down the road, mandatory chain restaurant calorie labeling laws go national.