The Food and Drug Administration ruled that cinema chains across the U.S. are now required to inform moviegoers of the calorie count in their buttered popcorn and soft-served fountain sodas.

Several chain restaurants with in-house specialty cocktails are also expected to follow this rule in accordance with new FDA regulations as part of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, Los Angeles Times.

The policies pertain to corporate chains with 20 or more sites who offer "basically the same menu items" and operate under the same title and the FDA said.

According to the federal agency, these rules will produce standardization to a current piecemeal of local and national requirements for calorie distribution. The new rules require restaurants to now calculate and post the calorie count of "multi-serving" offerings, such as pizza, by the slice (or single serving), the LA Times said.

The FDA reached a decision merely days after youths took to social media to share photos of unappetizing school lunches with the hashtag #thanksmichelleobama. "Let's Move," the health initiative by Michelle Obama to lower America's obesity and diabetes rates by trimming sodium, fat and simple sugars, has been featured everywhere from late night talk shows to "Sesame Street." The First Lady's campaign has been unpopular because of her staunch advocacy including additional whole grains, fruits and vegetables in public school lunch programs.

Though, the concerns are valid. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via Bloomberg, "obesity ... affects more than one-third of American adults and 17 percent of children."

"Increased awareness about the choices we make certainly does not mean that we always eat what is healthy," FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg wrote Tuesday in her blog. "But whether we choose to eat french fries or a tuna sandwich, those selections should reflect informed decision-making. That can only happen if the right information is available to make those choices."

When the new rule goes into effect next year, it will also entail food establishments to provide "more detailed information upon request," according to Bloomberg.

With new labeling requirements, "Consumers must be notified on menus and menu boards that they can ask for and receive written nutrition information about total calories, total fat, calories from fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrates, fiber, sugars and protein," according to the LA Times.

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