IL HB5036

Creates the Menu Education and Labeling Act requiring restaurants and similar retail food establishments to post a health warning sign.

Sign must be at least 8 inches by 5 inches in size and state that certain menu foods may be high in calories, saturated fat plus trans fat, and sodium, which can cause diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

Legislative findings document that two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese, with obesity costing $117 billion annually in health care and productivity losses.

Notes that Americans spend approximately one-third of their food dollars on restaurant meals, yet nutrition labeling is not consistently required for restaurant foods.

References research showing that three-quarters of adults use food labels on packaged foods and approximately 48% of consumers change their purchasing decisions based on nutrition information.