Brits have been left flabbergasted after discovering the actual number of calories some meals contain at many of their favourite restaurants.
It has today been announced that diners will see the calorie content of dishes on menus as part of a Government drive to tackle obesity.
Businesses with 250 or more employees in England, including cafes, restaurants and takeaways, will be required to display the calorie information of non-prepacked food and soft drinks prepared for customers.
Many don't want to know if the food they are eating is bad for them and say they will now feel guilt-tripped - while others are concerned that it could potentially encouraging eating disorders.
Some of the UK's most calorific meals have been thrust into the spotlight as the move to improve the nation's health begins.
Toby Carvery's All You Can Eat Breakfast is one of the worst, coming in at a belt-busting 2,371 calories.
Miller and Carter's Smoky Barbecue Ribs are nearly as bad fro you, while the Flame Grill Combo from Beefeater comes in at 2,222 calories.
There was also shock at Subway's popular Mega Meat footlong with Doritos and Nando's Fino Pitta with peri-salted chips and garlic bread both being over 1,600 calories.
People have taken to social media to register their surprise as the move divided opinion among industry leaders and diners.
One person tweeted: "Just been for an all you can eat breakfast at Toby Carvery!!! Guess i’m not eating again now till thursday! #breakfast."
Another said: "Bc of the change in the UK where calorie info has to be on everything, I’m really struggling - one slice of pizza is literally more calories than I feel comfortable eating in a full meal."
A third put: "I actually can’t get over a Yorkshire pudding from Toby Carvery being 600 calories."
Another said: "Nearly 2,000 cals in #Nando's pitta meal I thought it was healthy lol!"
Calories will need to be displayed at the point of choice for the customer, such as physical menus, online menus, food delivery platforms and food labels.
The measures, which form part of the Government's wider war on obesity, have been introduced to help consumers make more informed, healthier choices when eating out or ordering takeaways.
It is estimated that overweight and obesity-related conditions cost the NHS £6.1 billion each year.
Almost two-thirds of adults in England are overweight or obese - and one in three children leaves primary school at an unhealthy weight.
In a Public Health England survey on calorie reduction, 79% of respondents said they think menus should include the number of calories in food and drinks.
However, the move has received a mixed response, with one charity warning the move will negatively affect people with eating disorders.
Tom Quinn, director of external affairs at Beat, said the eating disorder charity was "extremely disappointed".
He said: "We know from the people we support that including calories on menus can contribute to harmful eating disorder thoughts and behaviours worsening.
"For instance, it can increase a fixation on restricting calories for those with anorexia or bulimia, or increase feelings of guilt for those with binge-eating disorder.
"There is also very limited evidence that the legislation will lead to changed eating habits among the general population
"1.25 million people in the UK have an eating disorder, and sadly we know that the pandemic has contributed to more people than ever before needing support for these serious mental illnesses.
"Beat has continually asked the Government to consider the impact on people affected by eating disorders and to take an evidence-based approach when creating health policies.
"This should involve consulting eating disorder clinicians and experts by experience at every stage of the process."
Wagamama has said it will now offer two menus.
They say one will have calories displayed and there will be one without on request.
Wagamama CEO Thomas Heier said: "After two years of working with our charity partners Young Minds, disordered eating for young people is something we're acutely aware of.
"As calories become a legal necessity for all restaurants, we've decided to offer a non-calorie menu for guests suffering with a challenging relationship with food."
Mark Selby, co-founder of Mexican street food restaurant Wahaca, told the BBC : "It tells part of the story but I think it slightly misses out some quite important fundamentals around food - be it nutrition, fibre, all those things - which potentially we feel might be more relevant or certainly need to be considered."
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: "Obesity is one of the biggest health issues we face as a country and clear food labelling plays an important role in helping people make healthier choices for themselves and their families.
"We are all used to seeing nutritional information on products sold in supermarkets and displaying calorie information on menus can help us consume fewer calories when eating out or getting a takeaway.
"The regulations will also allow businesses to provide menus without calorie information at the request of the customer."
