The verdict is still out on whether the six-month-old California law requiring chain restaurants to disclose calories, fat content and other health information on menu items is helping consumers make healthier food choices.

The trend toward obesity during the past 20 years prompted lawmakers in the Golden State to require restaurants to list nutritional information on menus or in separate guides.

Results from a 2005-06 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey indicated that 33 percent of adults in the United States are overweight, while 34 percent of people tip the scales into the obese category. Six percent of the population is considered morbidly obese. Other reports show an upward trend in obesity among school children.

In short, obesity in America has more than doubled since 1980.

At a recent get-together at California Pizza Kitchen in Simi Valley, several women used the calorie counts to help them guide their menu decisions.

Bonnie Kronfeld of Oak Park said she changed her lunch order after reading about the calories and fat content of the restaurant’s chicken Waldorf salad. A half Waldorf salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing racked up 743 calories, while the barbecue chicken salad of the same size had 200 calories less.

Joanne Drager of Chatsworth said she is happy that restaurants now list health information on menus.

“When you read the calories you make better choices,” she said.

Drager’s daughter, Vicky Torres from Long Beach, said the information may be useful but it has “taken the joy out of eating out.”

“I order completely differently and am enjoying it less,” Torres said.

Moorpark resident Diane Olmstead said she was surprised by some of the information she found in the nutritional guides. Some items—like the salmon she ordinarily orders at an El Torito restaurant—contained 1,000 calories per meal.

“Soft tacos were fewer calories,” she said.

At The Cheesecake Factory in Thousand Oaks, many menu items are packed full of calories and fat, but patrons don’t seem to mind.

Thousand Oaks resident Christie Rivera, 25, says she always looks at the health information on menus. While she has boycotted some restaurants because too many items fall into the high-calorie column, she considers eating out at The Cheesecake Factory a “treat” and doesn’t worry too much about what she’s eating.

And Bernard Mangold of Camarillo said he may “glance” at the calories but doesn’t really consider the nutritional content.

The range of food items that can be ordered at The Cheesecake Factory offers patrons many choices, but grilled items, plain lettuce salads and Weight Management selections provide the fewest calories.

For instance, Weight Management grilled chicken is listed at 590 calories, but lemon-herb roasted chicken, which may seem like a healthy choice, contains 1,719 calories without side dishes.

Mark Mears, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at The Cheesecake Factory’s corporate headquarters in Calabasas, said all Weight Management meals are 590 calories, including the accompanying sides.

“We serve generous portions, perfect for sharing or taking leftovers home for a second meal,” Mears said, adding that the restaurant chain has a liberal substitution policy, which means people can easily switch out fatladen french fries for steamed broccoli.

Mears wouldn’t reveal the highest-calorie menu item versus the lowest.

On the high end, the crispy chicken costoletta has 2,556 calories. A single meal combining the chicken with an appetizer, soup or salad, and dessert could easily pack more than 4,000 calories. One pound of body weight is equal to 3,500 calories.

How many calories men and women should consume daily for optimum health depends on many factors. The rule of thumb for an average woman to maintain a healthy weight is 2,000 calories per day, while the average man needs about 2,500 calories per day. But the number for each person varies depending on many factors, including age, gender, body type, exercise and metabolism.

For instance, a very active younger woman may be able to routinely eat 3,000 calories per day and not gain an ounce, while her menopausal couch potato counterpart only needs 1,500 calories per day.

Olympian swimmer Michael Phelps’ diet reportedly consisted of 12,000 calories per day.

Shelby Boyce, a waitress at the Simi Valley California Pizza Kitchen, said business has changed at her restaurant since the new law took effect.

“People look at the calories and say, ‘Wow,’” Boyce said.

The corporation responded by shaving calories from meals when possible. Salads have less dressing, for example. And calories that used to be listed on the main menu are now displayed in a separate nutritional guide.

But Mears said the new law has not persuaded chefs at The Cheesecake Factory to prepare meals any differently.

“People have not changed the way they order food since the law took effect,” he said.

As for that creamy, fat-laden, delicious cheesecake that is the company’s trademark, Mears said people know full well that the dessert is a “splurge” and high in calories.

“People understand the concept of moderation and that they have choices in diet,” he said.