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It doesn't matter how many calories are in her value meal, Erisse Myers still will eat at McDonald's.

"I have children, so I have to go to McDonald's," said Myers, 27, as her toddler son grabbed at her and asked for french fries Tuesday.

However, the Germantown resident said knowing the calorie content of the various menu items might convince her to choose a healthier option.

Some Montgomery County chain restaurants, like McDonald's, would be forced to include calorie information on their menus or menu boards under a proposal being considered by the County Council.

The measure was first introduced in 2007 by Councilman George L. Leventhal (D-At large) of Takoma Park, but the bill stalled at the beginning of the economic recession. Now, Leventhal says a national movement on the issue makes this a good time for county restaurants to undertake the change.

During a committee meeting Thursday, council members decided to require only calorie information to be displayed on menus or menu boards. Additional information on fat content, sodium and other nutritional details would be available on request, Leventhal said.

"This is in the interest of public health," he said. "The public expects the government to protect it from criminals and accidents, but the No. 1 killer is heart disease. But what is the government doing to protect against heart disease?"

The requirement would apply only to chain restaurants with 20 or more locations nationwide.

This would include most fast-food restaurants and chains such as Outback Steakhouse, T.G.I. Friday's and Chili's Grill & Bar.

The full council is expected to vote on the bill Nov. 17.

"We're not telling people what they may or may not eat or drink, but having the information is useful," Leventhal said. "People don't always know that one item has more or less calories than another."

The Restaurant Association of Maryland opposes Leventhal's bill, but supports a menu labeling requirement that is included in one of the health care bills being considered in Congress.

Melvin Thompson, senior vice president of government affairs and public policy for the association, says local bills would be a "nightmare" for restaurant owners.

If each jurisdiction drafted its own requirements for menus and menu boards, chain restaurants would have to create different menus and boards to comply with each policy, he said, adding that it would be "very costly and unnecessary."

"We support disclosing nutrition information on restaurant menus," said Thompson, who attended the County Council committee meeting Thursday when the nutritional labeling bill was discussed. "Our customers ask for it, and we want to provide it, and because of that we are supporting and working very hard to pass legislation at the federal level that will create a uniform nationwide standard on how nutritional information will be displayed in chain restaurants."

As for Leventhal's bill, Thompson said, "This is more about scoring political points than addressing a real issue."

Leventhal said he supports menu labeling because of the benefit to public health, especially in lowering the rate of youth obesity.

A county bill would not burden chain restaurants, most of which already have locations in New York City, where they are required to provide nutritional information in menus and on boards, he said.

New York City officials conducted a study of the impact of its citywide menu labeling law, which took effect in March 2008. That study, released Oct. 26, showed that the number of calories purchased per customer decreased at nine of 13 fast-food restaurants or coffee chains.

Customers who said they saw and acted on posted calorie information purchased 106 fewer calories on average than those who did not notice or did not use the information, the study found.