Calories on English menus
 

So the English government have decided to f**k up people's lives by including the calories on menus. Although I am in Wales some pub chains here and Domino's have decided to put the calories on their food menus. Also I am only about 9 miles from the English border and very often eat in England even though I am in Wales where it shouldn't apply.

As many of you know I have a ed and finding it's screwing it up. Is anyone else with an ed in the UK finding it really difficult to cope with seeing the calories or is it just me?

mhm I feel for everyone who will struggle with this. I think it's a terrible idea. I don't have an ED as such but have previously had body image issues and yes it'll be hard for people without an ED I think so my heart goes out to those with ED's.

We've had that here for years. I find that now that I've gotten over the initial shock I can just ignore it, but I also don't eat out very often either. It is definitely super not useful and I'm sorry your country/countries have decided to do it too. :(

Yeah it's really ****ed me up
Work is doing it too
But apparently, according to the dr, there is an option to ask for a menu without calories

I guess the way I would look at it, especially with menus, is there's no way the numbers are going to be accurate irl. Portion size and ingredients can change, they can use different brands of items, and so many other factors are going to be at play there. So they really are meaningless in that sense because you don't actually know the real numbers anyways. It could be much less or much larger.

Thanks everyone. I am glad that I am not alone.

So effing pissed off about this. I think I'm going to do a little session with my form class about body image and health in case any of them have been looking at the silly old calories.
On twitter people were talking about being with non-EDed folk who changed their mind on what they were having at a café after seeing the calories and someone else responded about how they'd seen the calories and then stuck with the same choice as a protest snack. I think I'll be phrasing it like that to myself if I get spooked by the calories when out. The only thing better than a brownie is a protest brownie!

Funny enough an news article about this came up on my Facebook account. It's agreeing with me and it sums up how showing calories is really f**king with my ed. Worryingly it says that Scotland are considering it which means that Wales will probably follow suit. I dont think I am allowed to post it as it shows an menu containing calories but it's a bbc link.

More people are opposed to it than agree with it from what I've been reading over the last few weeks

I'm not a mod obviously. But Dawn, if I read the same BBC article as you I think it'd be safe to post. The only image I saw of a menu was actually an external instagram link so would require a fair amount of effort to get to.

Thanks Camden. I have Pmed Jenna with the link for her opinion. If she says it's ok then I will post it.

That is wise!

Camden, I voted no because the link I was sent you could see the calories without clicking anything.

Huh. I wonder why I had to click through something to see it then? That's weird!

To be fair most places have been doing this for ages anyway I'm not totally for it not totally against it. Half the time I just go WHAT how many calories in this? Then literally say sod it and order but that's just me.

Rumor has it it's a bit trickier than "sod it" for a lot of people.

I would DEFINITELY not be able to say 'sod it' for anything like that!!!
I just hope i never find out the calories for my beloved cheesy garlic bread at work!

Is your work a big chain or is it small enough to be exempt from #caloriegate? I hope you avoid the numbers too - they shouldn't be allowed to ruin your cheesy garlic bread enjoyment!

It's not a massive chain like spoons but big enough to not be exempt from caloriegate!
But i asked one of my managers about it and she said that they will keep menus without calories on them so people can ask for them.
Tbh i don't have a lot of time to look through menus while at work so I *should* be ok!
I love my mid afternoon cheesy garlic bread!!!

Beckie, is it worth brainstorming how to handle it if you do accidentally see the calories?

(This could apply to anyone really.)