Calorie Counting: Are New Yorkers Skipping Sweets & Other Foods Now Because Of the High Calorie Count?

Stephen J. Dubner, co-author of the bestselling book Freakonomics, raises an interesting topic in today's Freakonomics blog, hosted on the New York Times.

He wonders if people in New York are picking lower-calorie foods that calorie counts are posted in restaurants with more than 15 oulets.

Noting that the new regulations present a "great opportunity for obesity researchers," Dubner recommends delving into whether or not calorie-sensitive behavior occurs at certain times of day, days of the week or even types of days (holiday vs. workday, bad weather vs. good, etc.)

He also encourages discovering if these calorie counts "shock people into buying/eating differently" and if so how long their shocked state lasts.

Intriguing questions, but I'd like to recommend that New Yorkers take matters in their own hands and put this info to good use.

In other words, don't leave the studying up to the obesity researchers. Instead, Big Apple residents (or visitors), study your behavior. See what you do with this caloric information.

Take these regulations as an opportunity to learn more about what you put into your mouth. After all, the better foods you eat, the better you feel.