Boston (SmartAboutHealth) - Chain restaurants operating across the United States may soon be adding calory counts to their menu items so that people who order off of them know how bad they are eating.

When people choose to go out to eat, the last thing on their minds are the amount of calories they are consuming, so we wonder if making this information available will really do anything?

Proposed legislation would make it manditory for restaurant chains with more than 20 outlets operating across the country to display calory information on their menus, and have readily available other types of nutritional info.

“America is facing an obesity epidemic which must be addressed at the national level,” said Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski. This is indeed the case, with an estimated 60% of the US population considered overweight.

Some restaurants that would be effected by this proposed legislation that has the backing of the National Restaurant Association include, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Dunkin Donuts and Darden Restaurants.