document: FDA proposes calorie counts on menus WASHINGTON - Like it or not , many restaurant diners will soon know more about what they are eating under menu labeling requirements proposed Friday by the Food and Drug Administration . The requirements will force chain restaurants with 20 or more locations , along with bakeries , grocery stores , convenience stores and coffee chains , to clearly post the amount of calories in each item on menus , both in restaurants and drive-through lanes . The new rules will also apply to vending machines where calorie information is n't already visible on the package . The calorie counts will apply to an estimated 280,000 establishments and could be on menus by 2012 . Required as part of 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 calories are consumed by eating out . '' `` We 've got a huge obesity problem in this country and it 's due in part to excess calorie consumption outside the home , '' '' says Mike Taylor , FDA deputy commissioner for foods . '' `` Consumers generally when you ask them say they would prefer to have that information . '' '' But do n't expect calorie shock when ordering at the movie theater , where a tub of popcorn can contain well north of a thousand calories - movie theaters are exempt , along with airplanes , bowling alleys and other businesses whose primary business is not to sell food , the FDA said . Movie theaters pushed to be left out after guidelines published last year included them .
extractive_keyphrases: vending machines diners information drug administration guidelines published counts home food eating under stores labeling requirements proposed apply consumption estimated ordering primary business establishments like country prefer included menus restaurant generally packaged goods eating pushed package with bakeries convenience washington calories information popcorn can theaters already visible signed bowling coffee chains calorie consumed drivethrough deputy commissioner they are
abstractive_keyphrases: proposes calorie counts 2012 required give restaurant