Whether either one succeeds in helping to improve eating habits that are linked to chronic diseases - or merely clutters up menus - will likely be debated for years.
Are consumers shocked upon discovering that, say, Applebee's Teriyaki Shrimp Pasta, listed in the "Unbelievably Great Tasting & Under 550 Calories" section, contains 3,410 milligrams of sodium - more than double the recommendations for most adults? (More to the point: Do they change their order?)
Are restaurants so embarrassed by the contents of their food that they reformulate the most extreme items?
Could a lot of little changes - a slight impact from labels, a little more exercise and less soda, a better background in nutrition from school - eventually shift the national eating pattern from just above to just below the max?
"There is no silver bullet," said Rogan Kersh, a professor of public policy at New York University. Kersh, who is studying the impact of labeling here and elsewhere, compared food-related prevention strategy to how doctors treat a patient with complex health issues: "We wouldn't try one thing and see if it works."
The idea of placing nutritional information right next to price and description on menus - visible at the "point of purchase" - has been around for only a few years. Initially the restaurant industry bitterly opposed the move, and unsuccessfully sued to stop the first mandate, in New York City, which began in mid-2008.
As local variations of the concept began popping up around the country, however, restaurants decided to seek uniform national guidelines. Those became part of the federal health-care overhaul, which was signed by President Obama on March 23, 2010 - and gave the Food and Drug Administration one year to write the regulations.
