Fast food fiends may soon be forced to face the high amount of calories, salt and fat grams in their favorite snacks, whether they want to or not.

Some states are considering legislation that would require fast food and chain restaurants to provide nutrition facts on their menus.

The legislation is pending in eight states, including Illinois, but not Wisconsin, according to Claudia Malloy, director of grassroots advocacy with the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington, DC.

"The bills have just been introduced; none have passed," Malloy said. "We are supporting them."

Malloy said the Center believes requiring nutrition information on fast food menus would aid in America's fight against obesity. She said the proposed bills would also mandate calorie count displays for items on drive-through signs.

However, some restaurant advocates feel requiring this information would be unrealistic and ultimately ineffective.

Sara Stinski, public relations director for the Wisconsin Restaurant Association, said fighting obesity is a worthy goal but requiring nutrition facts at restaurants is not the way to do it. Stinksi said the association would come out strongly against legislation if it was introduced in Wisconsin.

"We've had mandated nutrition labeling on grocery store food for a decade," she said. "It obviously isn't working because people keep getting bigger. Where's the evidence it's going to work with restaurants?"

But Malloy stressed combating obesity is not the only purpose behind requiring nutrition facts at restaurants. Forcing restaurants to provide nutritional information may lead them to try making foods healthier to begin with, she said.

"When information is required on packaged food, companies have redesigned their products," Malloy said. "Companies are actually getting rid of trans fats just because they have to show it."

One restaurant that is already open about showing nutritional information is Subway. Wayne Chrusciel, development agent with Subway restaurants in Milwaukee, said a new nutrition facts policy would not affect Subway much.

Other restaurants provide nutrition facts about their food, but do not post them. Ebony Coleman, manager of Taco Bell at 2210 W. Wisconsin Ave., said Taco Bell's policy is to have brochures with the information available in the restaurant.

Some restaurants take a middle-of-the-road approach, listing some information on menus and making other information available by request. Such a system is practiced by Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar restaurants, according to Anthony Cortese, vice president of marketing with Wisconsin Hospitality Group, a franchise of Applebee's International Inc.

"At Applebee's … we do post a Weight Watchers section on our menu," Cortese said. "We also post nutrition information either on the Internet or in literature that's available in every one of our stores."

Malloy said while many restaurants do have nutrition information about their food available upon request, the new legislation would provide standard protocol for every establishment.

"The new law would streamline services so restaurants can't make it hard," she said.

While there are currently no such laws being considered in Wisconsin, Stinski said she would not rule out the possibility.

This article appeared in The Marquette Tribune on Mar. 3 2005.