Talk about sticker shock! When I walked into my local Dunkin Donuts, staring me in the face, in huge type, were the obscene calorie counts for all my favorites–including 340 calories for a chocolate-glaze donut, and 660 for a chocolate chip muffin! Thanks to New York Mayor Felix Unger (I mean, Michael Bloomberg), all fast-food eateries must now prominently warn its customers just what they are getting into when they stuff their faces with junk food. I suppose this is good risk management…Or is it merely obnoxious?donuts.jpg

I don't quite know what to make of this Bloomberg initiative. On the one hand, in both insurance and risk management, information is power. If you can quantify a risk to determine the odds or cost of something going wrong, the exposure is a lot easier to manage. Having hard numbers handy also helps sell senior management on the importance of loss control and safety.

As risk managers of our own lives, having food content broken down on labels helps us make informed decisions about what to eat, and to be more aware of the potential consequences. Bloomberg's crusade to label all calorie counts (he is trying to extend his fast food awareness program to regular restaurants) speaks to that.

On the other hand, sometimes I would rather just be left in the dark. I know a donut is not good for my waistline, and probably is not the smartest food choice, but I like one now and then. Yet after being confronted with that calorie count, I don't know if I can ever wolf down a chocolate glaze again guilt-free.

That's no doubt Bloomberg's goal–to get people to stop and think about what they are eating, and to make better choices. It's for our own good, as our parents used to say.

Yet I am no longer a child, and don't want to be treated like one. That's the darker side of this initiative–Bloomberg as Big Daddy, scolding us about our lifestyle choices. Is this really any of his business?

I can still have my donuts, of course. Unlike when Bloomberg arranged to have trans-fat removed from all food preparation, donuts have not been banned. But his kill-joy warnings have spoiled the whole donut experience for me.

The worst was last week, when I attended Opening Night of my beloved Brooklyn Cyclones. To my horror, the concession stands at Keyspan Park had calorie counts listed for all the staples–hot dogs, french fries, pizza, pretzels, etc. (I won't reveal the numbers so as not to spoil your next ballpark culinary experience.)

Who wants to worry about such things at a baseball game?!? (Keyspan, in keeping with the spirit of Bloomberg's healthy eating campaign, now offers three types of low-fat salads. Somehow, singing “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” ain't the same with a salad sitting in your lap!)

Risk management is wonderful, but sometimes one can have too much of a good thing, whether that be donuts, hot dogs or risk management!

What do you folks think???

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