Foods labeled with the words “fitness,” “active,” or “health” may fool people into thinking it’s good to splurge on–but that’s exactly why these foods may be a bad choice for consumers, according to new research from the Journal of Marketing Research.
These foods even make people exercise less, says CBS medical contributor Holly Phillips, M.D..
“Marketing foods and branding them as ‘fitness’ and ‘active’ and ‘health’ is a really popular sales strategy,” says Phillips, who did not participate in the study. “In part it comes down to what we call the ‘health halo,’ where we tend to over-indulge and take in more calories if we feel the snacks are healthy. But to me it also kind of exposed this insidious way that labeling gives people who are trying to lose weight a false sense of security.”
For the research, scientists recruited 162 participants who were reportedly “watching their weight,” a group which may have more interest in health or fitness-oriented snacks.
Splitting them into two groups, they gave them one of the following: Trail mix labeled as “trail mix snack” or “fitness snack.” They had them undergo a taste test, which they used to secretly measure how much trail mix they consumed.
The bad news? Those who received the trail mix bag labeled “fitness snack” ate 200 more calories, even though they were trying to watch their weight.
In a separate experiment, researchers also repeated this procedure but instead of having them undergo a taste test, they had them cycle on a stationary bike. The result? Those watching their weight who ate the trail mix labeled as a fitness snack exercised less and burned fewer calories.
The findings couldn’t be clearer: Labels fool us into eating more and exercising less.
“The claims reduce the conflict between eating enjoyment and weight control,” says Joerg Koenigstorfer, Ph.D., author of the study and a professor of sport and health management at Technische Universität München in Munich, Germany. “This compatibility absolves restrained eaters from having to watch their weight and licenses them to pursue the eating enjoyment goal. As a result of eating for pleasure and ignoring their weight-loss goals, dieters end up overeating fitness-branded foods.”
What This Means For You
If you’re trying to watch your weight or get in shape, watch out: Certain food labels could hamper your weight loss journey. To stay in shape, avoid foods labeled as “health,” “fitness,” or “active.” Though these foods may claim to improve your diet, chances are it could cause you to indulge more.
Readers: How often do you buy food items labeled with fitness or health labels?
Sources:
“Fitness” Labels on Food May Lead Consumers to Eat More, Exercise Less – CBSNews.com
They May Seem Healthy Enough, But Could Fitness-Branded Foods Be Hurting Your Weight Loss Efforts? – Yahoo.com
The Effect of Fitness Branding on Restrained Eaters’ Food Consumption and Post-Consumption Food Activity (Study) – Mailchimp.com
About The Author: Zero to Hero Fitness!
Our mission at Zero to Hero Fitness is to help you to finally lose the weight and keep it off, strengthen your body and mind, and experience naturally high levels of energy throughout the day. We believe everyone, regardless of your past or current struggles with your health or fitness, can greatly improve on your existing condition and live life in your best body possible.