Please send an email to your Senators and urge them to support bills to (1) require chain restaurants in New York to list calories on menus and (2) phase out trans fat in New York restaurants. 

Act today!  These bills recently passed in the Assembly and now will go to the Senate for a vote.  Let the New York Senate know that eating out should be enjoyable, without putting your health at risk.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

Dear Senator:

I am a resident of your district and strongly support legislation, similar to the bills that recently passed in the Assembly, that would phase out artificial trans fat in New York restaurants and other food-service facilities (AB 6359) and that would require calories on menus and menu boards of chain restaurants (AB 2720). I urge you to support the Senate version of these bills.

Trans fat increases blood cholesterol and the risk of heart disease, the number-one cause of death for Americans. Harvard researchers have estimated that each year trans fat was causing tens of thousands of fatal heart attacks. Those illnesses and deaths in New York are unnecessary, and many could be prevented by passage of this bill.

The menu labeling proposal would require chain restaurants, with 15 or more restaurants, to list calorie content on menus and menu boards. New York residents are getting about one-third of their calories from eating out. However, few restaurants provide nutrition information at the point where people order. It's nice that information may sometimes be found on the Internet or tray-liners, but that's not very helpful when you're weighing your choices at a restaurant. As a result, people often consume more calories than they realize. Passage of this proposal would be an excellent step toward helping all New York residents watch their weight and reduce their chances of developing obesity and diabetes or suffering unnecessary heart attacks or strokes.

New York City, Albany, Westchester, and Suffolk Counties have adopted trans fat and menu labeling measures. These bills are an important way to protect all New York citizens from heart disease, obesity and premature death. Please let me know if you will support these bills in the Senate.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
June 24, 2009