Does Cass Sunstein Regret Ruining Your Popcorn?

The Legal Scholar Who Put Nutrition Facts in Movie Theaters and Fast Food Joints Helps Us Figure Out What Information We Need

When Cass R. Sunstein was serving as administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs under President Barack Obama, he oversaw major new legislation requiring chain restaurants to disclose nutrition information. After an extremely long debate, Sunstein and his colleagues decided to include movie theaters. “A lot of people consume a lot of stuff at the movie theater, and it would be good for people to make informed choices,” Sunstein recalled thinking at the time. When he told a friend the good news, she replied with three …