Before you read: some questions to help you think about the topic and the words you might need.
Are there laws in your country that restaurants have to show how many calories are in their food?
Do you think all restaurants should have to show information about their food?
Some fast food chains, including McDonalds, are now showing the amount of calories of food items on their menus. Some studies suggest that doing this prompts consumers to buy healthier meals. An example of this is Starbucks who began posting calorie information in their stores as per New York law and found that customers ordered 6% fewer calories on average per transaction.
And shortly after Panera Bread posted calorie counts on its menu boards in April 2010, the company noticed that 20% of customers began ordering lower-calorie items.
But some warn that most consumers may not be swayed by the extra information.
A report published last year in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, which looked at seven studies on the topic, discovered that calorie labeling does not have the expected effect of decreasing how many calories people eat.
Even McDonald's hasn't yet noticed a comprehensive change in behavior in the cities and states that have already mandated calorie counts to be posted. "It hasn't seemed to have made a difference, but what it says to the customer is, 'We care about you and want to provide you with the most detailed information possible,' " McDonald's USA president Jan Fields said in an interview.
New laws requiring operators of restaurants with 20 or more restaurants to post calories on menus are expected to take effect by the end of next year.
Even if consumers aren't quick to change their buying habits, restaurants, in anticipation of the new laws that are coming, are doing already what the lawmakers want to achieve.
Many food chains have either reformulated menu items to be healthier or have started steering consumers to lower-calorie choices.
For example, Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar, a unit of Dine Equity Inc., has a menu featuring items under 550 calories, and McDonald's recently grouped several menu items under the heading "Favorites Under 400 Calories."
Glenn Kikuchi, owner of 10 McDonald's franchises in Maryland, said he's already seen signs that the information about calorie counts is having an effect.
"I see that a lot of the moms are looking at it, but also, interestingly enough, the teenagers are looking at it, too," Mr. Kikuchi said.
Guessing meaning from context
Try to guess the meaning of the words in bold and match them with their closest meaning from the choices in the right. The answers are below the table.
|
prompts |
A |
1 |
To begin from some time or date |
|
swayed |
B |
2 |
Full, total, completely finished |
|
comprehensive |
C |
3 |
Expectation of some future event |
|
mandated |
D |
4 |
To do something to start an action, to make you aware or notice to begin doing something |
|
to take effect |
E |
5 |
Do something again in a better or new way |
|
quick to change |
F |
6 |
The main event, the most important thing |
|
anticipation |
G |
7 |
Fast action to begin doing something new or follow others |
|
reformulated |
H |
8 |
controlling to go in some direction |
|
steering |
I |
9 |
A law that requires us to do something |
|
featuring |
J |
10 |
Influence to go in some direction, convince, |
A=4, B=10, C=2, D=9, E=1, F=7, G=3, H=5, I=8, J=6
Some discussion questions using the new words to help you better understand the word meaning and how to use them correctly. Try to use the words in your answer.
1. Do you agree that showing calories always prompts people to buy lower calorie meals? Why or why not?
2. Would you be swayed to buy lower calorie meals after seeing the calories shown?
3. Why did McDonalds not see a comprehensive change in eating habits?
4. Do you agree that restaurants should be mandated to show information about their food? Even if it costs more money?
5. In the U.S. these laws take effect from the next year for restaurants with 20 or more stores, but should it also be for smaller ones too? Why or why not?
6. Do you think people in your country would be quick to change their eating habits if all restaurants showed the food information?
7. What do you anticipate will happen in the American food eating habits in the future after reading today’s story?
8. Do you think that many restaurants began reformulating their food menus only because of this law, or do you think there could be other reasons?
9. Do you feel that a menu featuring more healthy foods in a fast food restaurant will steer you to change your eating habits? Why or why not?
Some example sentences using the new words to help you to better understand their meaning.
1. The Korean government was prompted to make a new law about food quality after many people complained about it.
2. They sent many texts and emails inviting us to their event, but it didn't sway us to come.
3. I believe a language test is not comprehensive if it only has multi-choice questions and no speaking or listening.
4. The government has mandated that all people in a care must wear a seat safety belt and this law will take effect from April 1 next year.
5. Korean consumers are quick to change their cell phones to have the newest technology.
6. Korea correctly anticipated how important the Internet would be and developed a very fast Internet service.
7. We had to reformulate our plans because the bad weather meant we could no longer have an outdoor party featuring the new Korean entertainer Psy.
8. The police are trying to steer drivers away from traveling on the roads this holiday because there are too many people wanting to drive.
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