SACRAMENTO – Several California legislators have introduced measures that seek to promote healthier eating, ScrippsNews reports.

One measure would require labels on food made from cloned animals, while another would ban trans fats. And one would make restaurants add fat percentages, sodium content and calorie counts to menus.

Supporters point to the increase in obesity and diabetes as justification for such legislation. However, critics say the bills are needless government invasion.

"It is rooted in a little bit of, 'Well, we don't think consumers are smart enough to go out there and make decisions on their own,'" Jot Condie, president of the California Restaurant Association, told the news service. The association opposes most of the bills.

Under Senate Bill 180, restaurant chains with five or more outlets in the state would have to post calorie counts on menus. Senate Bill 120 would add fat and carbohydrate grams and sodium milligrams to menus for restaurant chains with 10 or more locations.

Assembly Bill 93 would ban trans fats in restaurants and other places serving food, while Assembly Bill 97 would extend that ban to include grocery stores.

Meanwhile, Sacramento was ranked number one for consumers wanting healthy options at causal-dining restaurants, the NPD Group revealed in a survey released late last month. Thirty-one percent of Sacramento consumers say they want to see more healthy options in restaurant meals. However, only 10 percent of consumers report their last restaurant meal as healthy (data covering year ending June 2006).

The number-one healthy attribute among Sacramento consumers is "low fat/fat free," with 18 percent of consumers saying they want more of these options in restaurant meals. Vegetarian items are requested at above average rates; 14 percent of consumers put it on their wish list. Sugar-free is also on the list with 11 percent of consumers asking for more menu items that fit this bill.

"Health is a big topic for consumers right now, especially as we see restaurant meals becoming more integrated into daily life." Julie Travis, product manager of The NPD Group, said in a press release. "The large gaps between what consumers want to see in restaurant meals, and what they've ordered in the past, indicates that restaurant operators may have some opportunities to cater their menus more towards these 'healthy demands.' It's also a large function of the gaps between what consumers say, and what they actually do."