document: Calorie counts for everywhere from bakeries to vending machines -LRB- but do n't worry , you can eat at the cinema guilt free -RRB- Ever wondered how many calories are in your food when you dine out ? Or in the snack you 've just chosen in a vending machine ? Or indeed your early morning latte ? Well whether you have or not makes no difference . Because the FDA are now proposing that the amount of calories on each item on a menu be clearly posted for customers to see . Under the new labelling requirements , restaurant chains , bakeries , grocery stores , convenience stores , coffee chains and even vending machines will have to clearly post the amount of calories in each item . The new rules also apply to drive throughs . The calorie counts will apply to an estimated 280,000 establishments required as part of a health overhaul legislation signed into law last year . They are designed to give restaurant diners information that has long been available on packaged goods cooked at home . The FDA estimates that a third of the population 's yearly calories are consumed by eating out . The move is the latest in a series of changes to battle the nation 's epidemic of obesity . FDA deputy commissioner for foods Mike Taylor said : '' `` We 've got a huge obesity problem in this country and its due in part to excess calorie consumption outside the home . '' `` Consumers generally when you ask them say they would prefer to have that information . Nobody thinks that it by itself solves the problem , but it 's part of the tool kit . '' `` We see this as part of the overall effort to fight obesity . '' '' There are some places , however , where people will be able to indulge in their favourite snacks without worrying about the calorie content . The rules wo n't apply in bowling alleys , airplanes , or even movie theatres , where a tub of popcorn can contain almost a thousand calories - any business whose primary goal is not to sell food . Alcohol will also be exempt . Margo Wootan , director of nutrition policy at the advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest , told the Huffington Post that these kind of restrictions could be misleading to consumers . She said : '' `` I think it 's going to be confusing if customers see the calories for soft drinks and juice labeled on the menu but not other drinks such as beer and wine . It will make it seem like they are better choices . '' '' Calorie counts would have to be displayed prominently on all menus and menu boards , including at drive-through locations and next to self-service foods , such as items in a salad bar . A California law requiring chain restaurants to display calorie counts has been in effect since January , but many counties have put off enforcing the regulation until the release of the federal guidelines . Some fast-food chains in the state , including McDonald 's and Starbucks , have already begun displaying calorie counts on posted menus in some locations . Although public health and nutrition specialists welcomed the new rules , few suggested that they would make a substantial difference in the epidemic of overeating that adds an estimated $ 150billion a year to the nation 's medical bill . The rate of obesity has more than doubled over the last 40 years . In 1971 , an estimated 14.5 per cent of adults in the U.S. were obese , compared with about 35 per cent in 2008 .
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