There is an epidemic in America. More than a third of American adults are obese. Lawmakers and health professionals are starting to realize that the real solution to the runaway cost of healthcare in America is to do something about this troubling statistic. The health risks associated with obesity are many and varied. The cost of these health complications is skyrocketing. There are a lot of people playing the blame game with the rise of obesity in America, and one particular target is feeling the heat: fast food restaurants.

A new law has been passed in California that requires chain restaurants with more than 20 branches to post the calories in their food prominently on the their menus. Oregon, Maine, and Massachusetts have already passed similar regulations. New York City was the first state to pass the menu labeling law. It took effect in March 2008. This trend is quickly gathering strength as the effectiveness of these new regulations is monitored.

Supporters of menu labeling hope that knowledge about caloric content will drive customers to choose healthier menu items. Los Angeles boldly predicts menu labeling will prevent 40% of the weight gain in their state. While this is yet to be proven, it is encouraging that more information is available about the food we eat each day.

Many people feel it is about time menu labeling became required by law. After all, we have labels on clothing that tell us where they are made and what they are made of, food should be no different.

Now that knowledge about caloric content is much more readily available to the public, restaurants are feeling pressure to offer healthier menu items. National chains like Starbucks, Denny’s, Dunkin’ Donuts, and McDonalds have all introduced less calorific items since menu labeling became compulsory by law in New York. Many chain restaurants claim that the reason for the change to offering more healthy foods is actually attributable to changes in consumer taste. But menu labels undoubtedly have some effect because restaurants always try to make their menu items as appealing as possible. If this trend continues, it may be a whole lot easier to find healthier foods at chain restaurants in the near future.

This is good news for anyone who is serious about removing themselves from the third of the American population that suffers from obesity and its related list of health complications. Calorie counting is an absolute necessity if you want to properly lose weight because the only tried and true method to make permanent changes is to burn more calories than you eat each day. Too many people stay comfortably ignorant of their true caloric intake each day because too many restaurants have been able to hide this information from the public.

Along with calorie counting, another great help to anyone who wants to lose weight as quickly and as safely is possible, is to try a thermogenic or lipotropic fat burner. The Thermogenic fat burners will increase your metabolism and help you burn fat faster, even while you sleep. Stick to the type of thermogenic fat burners that provide a variety of antioxidants with herbs and nutrients. Lipotropic fat burners increase your body’s metabolism to burn fat too, and also aid you in removing or transporting fat out of your body. Lipotropics are substances that prevent an abnormal accumulation of fat in the liver. Choose a lipotropic fat burner that is a non-stimulant and gets rid of fat in a safe and natural way. These are great at helping to prevent liver disease and regulating blood sugars. They can also help you to decrease your appetite so that you have a much easier time reaching your weight loss goals.