County believes it is Weight Watchers

The King County Board of Health aims to be a pioneer in government regulation by banning restaurants' use of trans fats, and even more the pioneer in requiring restaurant menus to list dietary metrics. We support the ruling on trans fats, but not the ruling on menus.

Both involve human health, but many foods and behaviors involve health, and people can stand only so much management by the public authorities. The case for prohibition of trans fats is stronger. Trans fats are a long-term health hazard and are not distinguishable by taste.

The restaurant industry agrees to replace them with other fats. Its only argument is about whether the Board of Health is giving it enough time to find substitutes. The board has ordered trans fats out of cooking oils in nine months and out of baked goods in 18 months — though the board promises to be flexible if replacements are not available.

The menu rule is another matter. Under it, as of Aug. 1, 2008, each permanent menu item must display the number of calories in that item; the grams of trans fat, saturated fat and carbohydrate; and the milligrams of salt. These metrics (literally in metric units, not English units) are to be displayed in the same typeface used to describe the item.

Suppose you go to Anthony's Home Port and order "Dungeness Crab Cakes Benedict." The text below it says, "Two of our award-winning Dungeness crab cakes topped with poached eggs on a bed of sautéed spinach with hollandaise sauce." Do you really want to read immediately afterward how many calories this contains? How many milligrams of salt? Maybe the information would be good for you — but do you want it?

Anthony's circulated a menu with these measurements added. It was twice as big as its current one and about one-twentieth as appetizing.

The menu rule, unlike the trans-fat rule, doesn't apply to all restaurants equally. It applies only to restaurants in chains of 10 or more. Anthony's is covered and Salty's is not. Ruth's Chris is covered and Canlis is not. Outback is covered and the Metropolitan Grill is not. Wendy's is covered and Dick's is not.

What's more, school and hospital cafeterias are not covered — the Board of Health does not regulate them — nor is the county's own jail.

The menu rule overreaches. Something may need to be done about disclosure of calories, salt, etc., but it should be done in a less heavy-handed way. Maybe the information could be on a Web page, or posted on the wall along with the business licenses and the health inspector's report.

Putting it on the menu in large type reeks of nannyism. Crab cakes are not cigarettes.