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?

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.