A quick Google search of "America's fattest cities" will turn up a dozen lists with Houston in the top 10. It's a title our city has had to bear on our pudgy shoulders for years now. According to Men's Fitness , donuts are 132 percent more popular here than the average city. Houston also has the 6th highest number of donut outlets per capita in our survey.
While that is a hilarious factoid, the donuts are apparently harmful to our health. Who knew? In places like New York City, Seattle and California, laws are in place that require certain restaurants to post calories on the menu. That way, you have to face the facts about that donut you're about to buy, and you'll maybe make a better decision. (As it turns out, though, a glazed donut can have fewer calories than a honey bran donut.) If this health reform we all keep talking about passes, restaurants with at least 20 locations throughout the country will have to post calories in every state, including ours.
For a fat city like ours, this could be important legislation. On the other hand, a recent New York Times article indicates that the calorie counts may not influence people's decisions as much as they are meant to. If you've strolled into an Au Bon Pain during a recent visit to the Big Apple, maybe you have been frightened away from a big cookie. Or maybe you bought two out of sheer despair. Could this new law mean a leaner Houston? Or is our breakfast none of the government's business?