A reader writes:
A little cited reason in support of nutritional labeling is diabetes and other conditions. My daughter is type 1 (the more rare type that has nothing to do with obesity or lack of exercise), and she must count every carb that passes her lips. If we don't know the carb count, then we have to go online or consult a book, or simply guess. (Guessing can lead to loads of problems.) Knowing that a chain must provide nutritional information (which McDonald's mercifully already does) is a wonderful convenience for people like us. It goes beyond counting calories. There are a myriad of healthcare conditions which require strict calorie or carbohydrate counting. This is an unbelievably wonderful thing for all those people who will suddenly find it much more convenient and pleasant to go out to eat once in a while. So, for us, this is not a nanny state issue. It is daily life and has nothing to do with politics.