What You Don't Know Could Hurt You( Whether listed on the menu or not...),Health

Whether listed on the menu or not, the American Diabetes Association provides tips for translating calorie information

ALEXANDRIA, Va., April 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Pop quiz -- which has more calories -- a tuna salad sandwich or a roast beef with mustard? You might be surprised to learn the tuna fish salad normally has at least twice the number of calories. But what does this mean for your daily diet? And how many calories a day are you supposed to eat anyway?

Counting calories, whether in the kitchen or at a restaurant, is important to maintaining or losing weight according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA). Consuming excess calories without increased physical activity can lead to weight gain, a major risk factor for pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes which affects nearly one in four Americans. In addition, people with diabetes and those at risk for diabetes need to work toward achieving a healthy weight to prevent deadly diabetes complications, such as heart disease and stroke.

"It is easy to underestimate the number of calories in food items, especially in a restaurant where you didn't prepare the meal yourself," commented Ann Albright, PhD, President, Health Care & Education, American Diabetes Association. "Since Americans are eating out more, they are receiving more of their calories via restaurant meals. People need to be well informed to make healthier choices."

Yesterday a federal court upheld a New York City regulation, which ADA supports, that requires chain restaurants to provide the calorie content of foods on their menus and menu boards. This ruling came in response to a challenge to the regulation filed by the New York State Restaurant Association.

ADA will host a live web chat "Tips, Tactics, and Tools for Healthier Restaurant Eating" on Tuesday, May 6, with ADA author Hope S. Warshaw, RD. Visit http://www.diabetes.org/
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