by Janet on October 7, 2010
photo courtesy of Flickr user digiyesica
Sometimes a single attribute of a food over-shadows all other factors. That’s a health halo at work.
You can get blind-sided by words like low-fat, organic, gluten-free and vegan — and give products more credit than they desire. Just because a donut is devoid of gluten or is ”green tea flavored” doesn’t mean it’s good for you. An organic cheese puff is still a cheese puff — it’s not suddenly nutritious or lower in calories.
Even so, it’s easy to fall victim to the allure of a health halo. That’s the topic of my column in the October issue of Cooking Light magazine.
I previously wrote about the impact of health halos on Nutrition Unplugged:
A health halo is one of those hidden persuaders that can get you to overeat or to eat more than you intended, says Brian Wansink, PhD, who has conducted a bulk of the studies on this phenomenon at the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University.
Health-halo based research got started because scientists were trying to explain what they call the “American obesity paradox.” At a time when lower-calorie options and diet-friendly foods have exploded in this country — our collective girth continues to expand.
We’re a nation of low-fat foods but high-fat people, Wansink says.
If a food is under the spell of a health halo, it increases a person’s serving size estimate. For example, Wansink found that when people opted for a low-fat snack, they ended up eating up to 90 more calories compared to people who selected regular snacks.
When people know what they’re eating may be indulgent, Wansink says, they come much closer to estimating the right number of calories.
That’s why I’m more in favor of having a reasonable portion of the “real thing,” rather than always defaulting for the light, sugar-free or low-fat versions. You may end up eating more and enjoying it less.
Bottom line: Keep your eyes wide open when making your food choices. Don’t allow a health halo to cloud your view. Don’t let a single claim or trendy ingredient skew your judgment. Keep pleasure part of the picture and keep sight of your portions. And remember, it’s the total nutritional package that counts.
Hope you’ll check out my column in Cooking Light and let me know what you think.
Tagged as:
Brian Wansink,
Cooking Light,
Food Marketing,
health halos,
low-fat,
low-fat labels,
nutrition claims,
organic,
trans fat free,
vegan
“Natural” keeps gaining steam, even if people aren’t quite sure what it means.
A new survey found Amercian shoppers believe a “natural” label claim is a better indicator of an eco-friendly product than “organic.” The Shelton Group conducted a survey of 1,006 U.S. consumers and found that nearly two-thirds were looking for greener products. Yet many consumers have become more skeptical of companies’ green credentials, accusing them of “greenwashing.” They also don’t seem to understand green terminology.
When asked “How do you know a product is green?” the top response was “don’t know/not sure,” at 22%. The second most popular response, at 20%, was “says so on the package/label.” And what influenced them the most on the label? The most persuasive was ”100% natural,” at 31%. The term “organic” was less trusted, at 14%.
Despite federal certification standards, consumers thought ”organic” was an unregulated marketing buzzword that means the product is more expensive. “Natural” carried more weight.
This comes at time when the purity of the “organic” label is being questioned. This Washington Post article reviews the issue and the growing concern that trust in the USDA Organic label is eroding.
“Relaxation of the federal standards, and an explosion of consumer demand, have helped push the organics market into a $23 billion-a-year business, the fastest growing segment of the food industry….But the USDA program’s shortcomings mean that consumers, who at times must pay twice as much for organic products, are not always getting what they expect: foods without pesticides and other chemicals, produced in a way that is gentle to the environment.
The market’s expansion is fueling tension over whether the federal program should be governed by a strict interpretation of “organic” or broadened to include more products by allowing trace elements of non-organic substances. The argument is not over whether the non-organics pose a health threat, but whether they weaken the integrity of the federal organic label. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has pledged to protect the label, even as he acknowledged the pressure to lower standards to let more products in.”
Is organic food worth the extra cost? That’s the question recently posed by WebMD is this slide show.
Update: Since my original post on the subject of “natural” vs. “organic,” the topic was featured in a front-page article in the Chicago Tribune by Monica Eng. It really hits home the current state of consumer confusion and how the lines between natural and organic are being blurred.
Tagged as:
green eating,
natural,
organic,
USDA Organic label
by Janet on February 20, 2009
The economy is starting to cut into the growth of the green movement, according to new consumer research from Mintel. The number of Americans who say they almost always or regularly buy green products remains unchanged since last year, at 36%. This comes after tripling the previous year — from 12% in 2007 to 36% in 2008.
Marcia Mogelonsky, PhD, senior research analyst at Mintel, explains the shift in green shopping behavior…
“People’s priorities have changed because of economic hardship. A substantial number of shoppers are now struggling just to provide the basics for their families, so green living is no longer top of mind for many Americans.”
Cost is the biggest barrier. Mintel’s survey found the majority of adults are willing to pay only a little extra for green products. More than half of respondents (54%) say they would buy more green products but the products are too expensive.
“Today’s shopper is looking for value,” said Mogelonsky. “Value doesn’t mean just low prices, but cost is definitely a factor. True value includes health and safety benefits, quality, convenience, appeal and trust, all at a reasonable price. Companies who provide those benefits, as well as appease shoppers’ green sensibilities, will enjoy success despite the recession.”
Even though the trend is slowing, Mintel predicts a 19% growth for green products overall through 2013. Markets including green personal care and environmentally friendly household cleaners are expected to perform especially well. Organic food, the most mature segment, will experience slowing but steady growth over the next five years, despite lower prices from private label organics and competition from natural and local foods.
Despite the green slow-down, the number of green labels continues to grow. Check out the range of eco-labels that are now being used on foods and beverages today.
Tagged as:
green,
Mintel,
nutrition trends,
organic
