Americans are about to know just how guilty to feel about that large popcorn at the movie theater.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today will release menu labeling rules for movie theaters, restaurants and grocery stores that will disclose how many calories are in meals and snacks. The rules complete a process started four years ago with the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

The regulations are part of a U.S. effort to fight obesity, which affects more than one-third of American adults and 17 percent of children, according the the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and contributes to conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.

“It won’t stop the obesity epidemic, but it may make it better,” said Thomas Farley, the former New York City health commissioner who implemented menu labeling there in 2008. “They may serve as a damper on the arms race on portion sizes as chains are embarrassed to put 2,000-calorie counts on an entree.”

The final regulations are a blow for theater chains -- which were exempted from FDA draft rules in 2011 that wouldn’t have required calories counts for tubs of buttery popcorn and other snacks, and which now do. They’re a win for grocery stores, which sought and won exceptions for fresh food at deli counters.

Chain Restaurants

Restaurant chains have already been preparing for the regulations because of similar requirements in New York and Philadelphia. The national version takes effect in a year and applies to restaurants chains with 20 or more locations and vending companies that operate 20 or more machines. Other nutrition information, such as fat, carbohydrates or sugars, must be available upon request. The rules in New York City have cut calorie counts there.

“This initiative is really all about trying to provide consumers with information that they can use to make more informed food choices for themselves and their families,” FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said.

Restaurants will also have to post calorie counts for alcoholic beverages, which were exempt in the draft rule because they’re primarily regulated by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.

A large tub of movie theater popcorn contains about 1,000 calories, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Movie theater chains, including Cinemark Holdings Inc., Regal Entertainment Group and AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc., made about 30 percent of revenue from concessions including candy, popcorn and soda, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

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