I recently wrote about the impact of a health halo — including “low-fat” labels that end up enticing you to eat even more.
Now there’s similar evidence that “organic” labels can lead you to overeat. The labels tend to make people think their organic snack has a lot fewer calories than it really does.
These findings were presented at this week’s Experimental Biology conference in Anaheim, Calif.
Cornell researchers found that people who ate organic cookies labeled as “organic” believed their snack contained 40% fewer calories than the same cookies that had no label, according to Jenny Wan-Chen Lee, a graduate student at Cornell’s Food and Brand Lab.
“An organic label gives a food a “health halo,” said coauthor Brian Wansink, Cornell professor and author of the books Marketing Nutrition and Mindless Eating.
It’s the same basic reason people tend to overeat any snack food that’s labeled as healthy or low fat. They underestimate the calories and over-reward themselves by eating more.”
The study even identified two personality types most likely to make these low estimates – people who claim to “usually buy organic foods,” and those who typically read labels for nutrition information.
What if you don’t want to overeat an organic food? [click to continue…]
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USDA Organic
by Janet on April 19, 2010
The race is on to be the next superfood.
I’ve frequently written about these boastful foods and beverages — whether it’s chia seeds, coconut water, kombucha, tropical berries like acai and gogi, or superjuices, such as MonaVie and Vemma.
As I’ve said before, these products may actually be good for you. Many do contain an abundance of nutrients or they’re high in antioxidants. But I’m just not sure they deserve such glowing praise — or in many cases, the steep price tag.
Bottom line, I’m opposed to the magical thinking.
And I’m worried an over-reliance on superfoods could cause you to take your eye off the bigger picture and distract you from eating a wide array of nutrient-rich foods. I’m also concerned about the “health halo” effect that I recently wrote about. Maybe a giant muffin contains a sprinkling of flaxseed, but that doesn’t erase the amount of calories and fat inside this breakfast cake. [click to continue…]
Tagged as:
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coconut water,
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kombucha,
kombucha tea,
MonaVie,
ORAC,
superfoods,
superjuices,
what's the next superfood
by Janet on April 12, 2010
Photo courtesy of Flickr user Candi Mandi
Go ahead , they’re low fat!
Haven’t you heard that before? Haven’t you thought that?
You’re not alone. Lots of people tend to let down their guard when they think something is low fat. It’s a tempting lure on food labels and on restaurant menus. A low-fat label can be a blinding spell that researchers have dubbed a “health halo,” and this devilish effect could be adding to your unwanted pounds.
The concept of a health halo has been around for several years now, and new studies continue to document the potential downfall. I first wrote about the health halo a few years ago for ABCNews.com. Researchers at Cornell University found that people who chose low-fat snacks ended up eating even more calories compared to their counterparts who selected regular snacks. The low-fat snackers consumed 90 more calories — presumably because they mistakenly thought low fat = low calories.
I interviewed co-author Brian Wansink at the time who described low-fat labels as “hidden persuaders” that can get you to overeat or to eat more than you intended.
Studies have repeatedly shown that putting a low-fat label on food causes people, especially those who are overweight, to underestimate its calories, to eat bigger helpings and to indulge in other foods. Researchers believe low-fat labels give people the mental permission to eat more. They may feel less guilty about their choice — which leads them to eat more. [click to continue…]
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Brian Wansink,
Health Claims,
health halo,
low-fat,
low-fat labels,
mindless eating
