McDonald's To Post Calorie Counts On Menus Beginning Next Week

Yesterday, everyone's jaws dropped when they heard that fast-food behemoth McDonald's would be posting all its calorie counts on menu boards starting next week. Because, who wants to advertise how many calories a hamburger has? No one.

According to the press release, McDonald's will be listing calorie information on all restaurant and drive-thru menus "to further inform and help customers and employees make nutrition-minded choices."

This bold move follows the company's "Commitments to Offer Improved Nutrition Choices," initiative announced last July. "It's the right thing to do," Greg Watson, senior vice president of menu innovation for McDonald's, told USA Today. "It's what a leader would do."

Of course, some people view McDonald's move as belated and forced. "They fought and fought and fought against this, and now they act like they wanted it all the time," Kelly Brownell, of Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity, said.

Whether or not other fast-food chains will follow suit is yet to be seen. Michael Jacobson, of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, believes, "The other fast-food chains will feel the competitive pressure to provide the same information."

In the meantime, check out the nutritional information of McDonald's menu items beforehand in this PDF from their website.