Want to Stay Slim? Read the Fine Print on Nutrition Labels!
Struggling with the ever expanding waistline? Try having a closer look at the nutrition lables from now on.
Nutrition labels printed on the back of food packaging tell a lot about what is inside, claim researchers at University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain.
According to experts, individuals, especially women, who go through food labels closely are more likely to stay slim than those who do not.
On an average, women who read the labels in detail tend to have a lower body mass index compared to those who choose to skip this vital information.
This essentially means a shift of close to four kgs in a woman (74kg weight and 1.62m height). Probably the consciousness that sets in after reading the label explains the result.
Mara Loureiro who led the study says,"Obesity is one of the most serious health problems in modern day USA. The number of overweight or obese adults has risen over the years. From 2009 to 2010, more than a third (nearly 37%) of the adult population in this country were obese and in children and adolescents this figure rises to 17%."
Data analysis
researchers analyzed data from the annual National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Over 25,000 people answered questions pertaining to their eating and shopping habits.
Mara Loureiro said, "First we analysed which was the profile of those who read the nutritional label when purchasing foods, and then we moved on to the relationship with their weight."
Findings
The analysis revealed urban dwellers were the most particular about reading food labels. Also those armed with high school and college educations scanned nutritional labels.
Also some disparity was perceived in terms of gender. While 74 percent women read information on food packets only 58 per cent men browsed through nutritional details.
Noted researchers Dan J. Graham, Ph.D. and Robert W. Jeffrey, Ph.D., of the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, maintain "The results of this study suggest that consumers have a finite attention span for Nutrition Facts labels: although most consumers did view labels, very few consumers viewed every component on any label.€
On being asked about his opinion on the matter, Dawn Jackson Blatner, R.D., author of "The Flexitarian Diet," quips "There really is so much information on a food label that it can get overwhelming. Yes, you can look at everything, but soon one thing starts canceling out the next."
Next time you head for the store to purchase anything, keep an eye on the fine print of the labels. You might save yourself from a few extra calories.
The study was published in the journal Agricultural Economics.
Nutrition labels printed on the back of food packaging tell a lot about what is inside, claim researchers at University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain.
According to experts, individuals, especially women, who go through food labels closely are more likely to stay slim than those who do not.
On an average, women who read the labels in detail tend to have a lower body mass index compared to those who choose to skip this vital information.
This essentially means a shift of close to four kgs in a woman (74kg weight and 1.62m height). Probably the consciousness that sets in after reading the label explains the result.
Mara Loureiro who led the study says,"Obesity is one of the most serious health problems in modern day USA. The number of overweight or obese adults has risen over the years. From 2009 to 2010, more than a third (nearly 37%) of the adult population in this country were obese and in children and adolescents this figure rises to 17%."
Data analysis
researchers analyzed data from the annual National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Over 25,000 people answered questions pertaining to their eating and shopping habits.
Mara Loureiro said, "First we analysed which was the profile of those who read the nutritional label when purchasing foods, and then we moved on to the relationship with their weight."
Findings
The analysis revealed urban dwellers were the most particular about reading food labels. Also those armed with high school and college educations scanned nutritional labels.
Also some disparity was perceived in terms of gender. While 74 percent women read information on food packets only 58 per cent men browsed through nutritional details.
Noted researchers Dan J. Graham, Ph.D. and Robert W. Jeffrey, Ph.D., of the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, maintain "The results of this study suggest that consumers have a finite attention span for Nutrition Facts labels: although most consumers did view labels, very few consumers viewed every component on any label.€
On being asked about his opinion on the matter, Dawn Jackson Blatner, R.D., author of "The Flexitarian Diet," quips "There really is so much information on a food label that it can get overwhelming. Yes, you can look at everything, but soon one thing starts canceling out the next."
Next time you head for the store to purchase anything, keep an eye on the fine print of the labels. You might save yourself from a few extra calories.
The study was published in the journal Agricultural Economics.
