Talk about sticker shock! When I walked into my local DunkinDonuts, staring me in the face, in huge type, were the obscenecalorie counts for all my favorites–including 340 calories for achocolate-glazed donut, and 660 for a chocolate-chip muffin! Thanksto New York Mayor Felix Unger (I mean, Michael Bloomberg),fast-food eateries now prominently warn customers just what theyare getting into when they stuff their faces with junk food. Isuppose this is good risk management. Or is it merelyobnoxious?

I don't quite know what to make of this. On the one hand, inboth insurance and risk management, information is power. If youcan quantify a risk to determine the odds or cost of somethinggoing wrong, the exposure is a lot easier to manage. Having hardnumbers handy also helps sell senior management on the importanceof loss control and safety.

As risk managers of our own lives, having food content brokendown on labels allows us to make informed decisions about what toeat, and to be more aware of the potential consequences. MayorBloomberg's crusade to label all calorie counts–he'd like regularrestaurants to offer full disclosure as well–speaks to that.

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

That's no doubt Mayor Bloomberg's goal–to get people to stop andthink about what they eat, and to make better choices. It's for ourown good, as our parents used to say.

Yet I am no longer a child, and don't want to be treated likeone. That's the darker side of this initiative–Mayor Bloomberg asBig Daddy, scolding us about our lifestyle choices. Is this reallyany of his business?

I can still have my donuts, of course. Unlike when MayorBloomberg pushed to have trans-fat removed from all foodpreparation, donuts have not been banned. But his kill-joy warningshave spoiled the whole donut experience for me.

The worst was when I attended Opening Night of my belovedBrooklyn Cyclones. To my horror, the concession stands at KeyspanPark had calorie counts listed for all the staples–hot dogs, Frenchfries, pizza, etc. (I won't reveal the numbers so as not to spoilyour next ballpark culinary experience.)

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

In the June 30 Newsweek, George Will did a column about thispolitical phenomenon, which apparently goes by the names “ChoiceArchitecture,” and “Libertarian Paternalism.”

In either case, it means rather than mandate that people dothings that are “good for them,” or ban “bad” stuff to keep peoplefrom doing things that are “bad for them,” you set up a situationwhere the choice remains with the individual, but the context issuch that most people will instinctively make the “right”choice.

Risk management is wonderful. But sometimes one can have toomuch of a good thing–whether that be donuts, hot dogs or riskmanagement!