By AP
Nashville, TN – Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen has vetoed a bill that would prohibit cities and counties from requiring restaurants to provide calorie counts on menus.
The governor said in a letter to Republican Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey yesterday that Tennessee faces an epidemic of obesity that's continuing to grow at a rapid rate.
Bredesen cited a recent report from Trust for America's Health research group that shows 30% of the state's adult population is obese, the fourth highest percentage in the country.
In the case of the state's children, 37% are obese, which is the fifth highest percentage of obese children nationwide.
The governor said he hopes the General Assembly will reconsider the issue next year.