What if you passed a regulation, and nobody cared? Obesity is quickly emerging as a major policy issue, with related health costs consuming 10 cents on every health dollar – and rising. Policymakers, then, are eager for ideas. Top of the list: regulations to force chain restaurants to post calorie counts on their menus. This past Friday, the FDA released proposed regulations to force restaurants to do exactly that.

New York and other cities have implemented the idea; it’s mandated in the president’s health care legislation that was signed into law a year ago this week. Medical studies are an important tool in judging these efforts and policymakers now have several studies to help weigh the effectiveness of the calorie count policy. A quick summary: good politics but dubious policy.