FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                 Contact: Lesley Sillaman
November 5, 2003                                                                                                                (202) 225-3661
                                                                                                                                  www.house.gov/delauro

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT) today joined Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and the Center for Science and the Public Interest (CSPI) to introduce the Menu Education and Labeling Act (MEAL), a restaurant labeling bill that would help curb obesity. The legislation would extend nutrition labeling beyond packaged foods to include foods at fast-food and other chain restaurants. The labeling would include listing calories, saturated plus trans fat and sodium on printed menus and calories on menu boards.

“Obesity is one of our nation’s most pressing health issues,” said Congresswoman DeLauro. “This bill will provide people with a way to combat this life-threatening trend. It will give consumers the necessary nutritional information to make healthy choices for themselves.”

Congresswoman DeLauro’s involvement in the issue began with a concern for rising obesity rates. It affects nearly 65% of adults and rates are rising. The problem is even more pressing for teens, with teenage obesity rates tripling in the last twenty years. Obesity costs the nation $117 billion a year in health care and related costs. It leads to conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, stroke and arthritis.

The act is an extension of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA), which Congress passed in 1990, requiring food manufactures to provide nutrition information on nearly all packaged foods. Three quarters of adults report using the food labels on packaged foods, and reading labels is associated with eating a healthy diet. Extending this labeling to fast food and other chain restaurants is a logical extension.

“This bill is about information, plain and simple,”said DeLauro. “We want to give people as much information as possible so they know more about what they are eating. As people spend more money and time eating out each year, it is important for them to have up-to-date nutritional information.

Senator Tom Harkin, who joined DeLauro at the press conference, will introduce a companion bill in the Senate this year.

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