Letter to the editor published in the Albany Times Union on August 31, 2005, on menu options and personal responsibility

On behalf of the nation's 900,000 restaurants, I want to voice my disagreement with the assertions made by Derrick Z. Jackson in his Aug. 23 op-ed piece, "Drive-through visits add calories, waste gas."

The restaurant industry is committed to promoting healthy lifestyles and providing guests with quality meals of their choice.

Choices on restaurant menus are driven by consumer demand and market forces, not by restaurateurs trying to force certain foods on the American public.

Restaurants across the country have a host of nutritious options to fit any diner's dietary needs. National Restaurant Association research shows that restaurant operators have noticed increases in the number of entree salads and fruit or vegetable side orders.

Jackson also omitted from his column the important fact that 76 percent of meals are prepared and eaten at home. So whether food is provided in a restaurant or at the family dinner table, dietary choices are a matter of personal responsibility.

The best way to maintain a healthy lifestyle is through balance and moderation in diet combined with regular physical activity. No one food or food source can or should be blamed for causing obesity — doing so is simplistic and naive.

STEVEN C. ANDERSON
President and CEO
National Restaurant Association
Washington, D.C.