Menu labeling

After California passed landmark menu labeling rules last year, other states have considered similar policies. In Oregon, a proposal was advancing to the House floor last week.

The Washington Times -- you know, my regular reading -- had this coverage in April about the debate on a similar bill in the West Virginia statehouse.

When state legislators in West Virginia sat down in a House committee last week to dine on fatty doughnuts and breakfast biscuits, a video of the proceedings hit YouTube and earned mention by "Tonight Show" host Jay Leno.

The irony of the now viral meeting was that the legislators snacked on high-calorie foods just as they killed a contentious bill that would have required most restaurants in the state to post calorie counts on their menus in an effort to encourage healthier eating.

Across Appalachia and in other areas of the country, rising health care costs from obesity-related illnesses are alarming, with insurance costs rising to treat such conditions as heart disease and diabetes.

In response to the widely held view that we all know what is in the restaurant food anyway, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has posted an online quiz. How'd you do?