The Affordable Care Act introduced a national menu labeling mandate for large chain restaurants in 2010 to help address rising obesity rates in the United States. Requiring businesses to provide comprehensive nutritional information about their products to consumers enables individuals to make more informed decisions regarding their dietary intake.
This explainer looks at the menu labeling requirements in the ACA, how these regulations were implemented and enforced, the effectiveness of menu labeling on obesity reduction, and state and local regulation in response to the national mandate.
