If you're a frequent customer of KFC, you may not wish to know the calorie content of that bucket of fried chicken. Or maybe you enjoy the mystery and don't want anybody to spoil it for you. In either case, stop reading this now.
A bucket of extra-crispy KFC chicken weighs in at 4,300 calories, assuming you get the usual mix of 10 drumsticks, six wings and four breasts.
While some people would rather not have guilt or information intrude upon their fast-food experience, many customers clearly do.
Worried about their waistlines and the health of their children, consumers are increasingly eager to know more about calories, fat, sodium and other stuff in the food they eat. To its credit, the state of California is insisting upon such disclosure, and nationally, a handful of chain restaurants are responding.
This week, the parent company of KFC – Yum Brands Inc. – announced that it will begin displaying calorie information on all its restaurant menu boards nationwide.
By 2011, Yum plans to have such menu boards on all 4,000 company-owned franchises of KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Long John Silver's and A&W. It also will encourage 16,000 franchises to prominently display calorie information for menu items.
While it's impossible to know why Yum picked this week to announce its new policy, we'd like to think it had much to do with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signing Senate Bill 1420 last week.
This new law – the first of its kind for any state – requires roughly 17,000 chain restaurants to post calorie information on their menu boards by 2011. No longer will consumers have to search around for hidden pamphlets to get information when they enter a chain restaurant. Instead, as the governor put it, "They will be able to go and see how many calories that they take in. That will lead to healthier options on the menu."
While California's new law isn't a cure-all for obesity – more exercise and healthier habits at home are essential – it's a common-sense way to help people think about their choices and insist upon food that is both healthful and satisfying. New York City has required calories on menu boards for the past year. Chains such as McDonald's can easily comply.
Indeed, it shouldn't take a law for the fast-food giants to do the right thing and help customers fight the battle of the bulge. As a Yum spokesman said in announcing the new policy, "We believe this is the right leadership role … to be providing more information so consumers can make better-informed purchase decisions."
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