Product names and product descriptions have both been shown to influence buying decisions. The name of a food has a strong influence on the degree to which consumers expect the product to be tasty, filling or fattening. These expectations, however, are often detached from reality (Chandon & Wansink 2012).<\/p>\n
A well-known brand or product description also impacts taste expectations, experiences and retrospective evaluations of the eating experience (Chandon & Wansink 2012). Science has shown that items with descriptive\u201d names (words like \u201csucculent,\u201d \u201cmouthwatering,\u201d \u201cdelicious\u201d) attract a greater number of positive comments and are rated as more appealing, tasty and caloric.<\/p>\n
The bottom line is that the prime location for labeling is the front area of the package and that stands out as consumers stroll through the shopping aisles. However, people are less likely to check the more accurate Nutrition Facts Label on the back or side of food packaging when front-of-pack labeling exists (FDA 2009).<\/p>\n
Research tells us that people think foods with front-of-package health claims (\u201cRich in Omega-3,\u201d \u201cSupports Immunity,\u201d \u201cLow-Fat,\u201d etc.) have fewer calories and are better for their health. This phenomenon is known as the \u201chealth halo effect.\u201d It\u2019s an area extensively studied by Brian Wansink, PhD, a marketing professor and behavioral economics expert at Cornell University in New York. Front-of-package claims \u201ccause us to believe the food product is much healthier than it actually is,\u201d says Wansink. And health claim labels like \u201cfree-range, gluten-free, pesticide-free\u201d and \u201cantioxidant-laden\u201d cause consumers to think, \u201cThe more [of this food] we eat, the better.\u201d People typically eat 44 percent more when there is a health claim on the front label,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n
The practical effects of the health halo effect have been summarized by author Marion Nestle, PhD, MPH, a professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University. She wrote \u201cHealth claims sell food products. People like buying products with a \u2018health aura,\u2019 no matter how poorly the health claim is supported by science. Science is irrelevant here. Marketing is what\u2019s relevant.\u201d What\u2019s the end result? Consumers usually believe front-of-package claims, perceive them to be government-endorsed and use them to ignore the more evidence-based Nutrition Facts Label on the back or side of the packaging (Nestle & Ludwig 2010).<\/p>\n
Natural<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cBut it\u2019s all natural\u201d proclaims Isaac, a client of mine.\u00a0 I try over and over again to explain that it might be natural, but you are eating too much of it and you taking something \u201cnatural\u201d and causing yourself harm by over eating.\u00a0 I also tried to convey to Isaac that just because the food packaging said the word \u201cnatural\u201d doesn\u2019t mean there isn\u2019t some processing involved with the food.<\/p>\n The word \u201cnatural\u201d helps to sell more than $40 billion a year in food products in the United States (Ferdman 2014). \u00a0Nearly 60 percent of people look for the word \u201cnatural\u201d when they shop for food, and about two-thirds believe it means that a processed food has no artificial ingredients, pesticides or genetically modified organisms (CRNRC 2014). In reality, the term is largely devoid of meaning because there is virtually no regulation from government bodies in this area.<\/p>\n Low-Fat, Fat-Free and Reduced-Fat<\/strong><\/p>\n Miriam came to me two years ago and she was obese.\u00a0 At the intake with our dietitian, she was emphatic about how she only<\/em> used low fat and fat free products, and she couldn\u2019t understand how she became obese if this had been her practice for years and years.\u00a0 What she didn\u2019t realize was that just because there is no-fat doesn\u2019t mean there are no calories. And she also had no idea that many of these products contain artificial sweeteners which we now know can cause metabolic problems that cause weight gain and diabetes.<\/p>\n Reduced fat is a popular term that is really almost meaningless as it is only a relative term.\u00a0 Reduced-fat foods must have at least 25 percent less fat than regular versions of those foods (Web MD 2014). The key point is that \u201creduced\u201d is relative only to the original product of comparison, not to a healthful standard, says New York\u2013based food expert Teri Mosey.\u00a0 For instance, many of us buy reduced calorie or reduce fat mayonnaise and it is true that compared to the regular product, it is less calories and fat.\u00a0 It is 90 calories per serving whereas the \u201clight\u201d version is about half that, but as a serving is one tablespoon, when you are putting in multiple servings, is adds up quickly.<\/p>\n Things are not usually what they seem to be on the food package.\u00a0 Being attentive, staying educated and learning how to read the food label on the reverse side of the package will \u201cadd hours to your day, days to your year and years to your life.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Alan Freishtat<\/strong> is an A.C.E. CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER and a BEHAVIORAL CHANGE and WELLNESS COACH with over 19 years of professional experience. Alan is the creator and director of the \u201c10 Weeks to Health\u201d program for weight loss. He is available for private coaching sessions, consultations, assessments and personalized workout programs both in his office and by telephone and skype. Alan also lectures and gives seminars and workshops. He can be reached at\u00a002-651-8502<\/a> or 050-555-7175<\/a>, or by email at\u00a0alan@alanfitness.com<\/a> Check out the his web site \u2013www.alanfitness.com<\/a> US Line: 516-568-5027<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There is hardly a week that passes that my dietitians and I don\u2019t hear about how healthy someone thinks they are eating. After all, they tell us, I am careful to buy products with no harmful ingredients. Or, we hear about how they eat low salt, low sugar, no additives, etc.\u00a0 The problem is, they<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":469,"featured_media":39960,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39958","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food","category-health"],"yoast_head":"\n
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