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At one popular fast food chain, the “Market Fresh” BLT sandwich racks up nearly 900 calories – but a beef and cheddar melt tallies just 430. That’s why some lawmakers want to require restaurants to post calorie counts on their menus. They say even informed consumers have trouble finding healthy choices. Representative Ed Homan, who is sponsoring the calorie-count bill, says posting calories on menus would help Floridians make better food choices.

“If you’re wondering why we’re doing this you just need to look around. Our nation is getting heavier, if you haven’t noticed. Much heavier. In 1980, 20 percent of the population was overweight, ten percent obese. Thirty years later, fast forward to today, 60 percent of our people, the adults are overweight. Thirty percent are obese. In the children, 30 percent are overweight and half of those are obese,” said Homan.

Some states already mandate calorie counts on restaurant menus. That means national chains already have the information they need to post the counts in Florida.