Happens when we overestimate the healthfulness of an item based on a single claim, such as being low in calories or low in fat.This halo effect makes us more comfortable to eat more than we otherwise would if a product is promoted as low in fat or calories.

The Health Halo Effect

Don’t let your guard down when you see items labeled with healthy-sounding terms and don’t assume there is a correlation between things without proof. Know what you are eating by paying close attention to the nutritional information and, just as importantly, the recommended serving size.

Don’t Believe Healthy Labels

<ul><li>This effect often leads to consumers confusing “low fat” with “low calorie”, which results in the overconsumption of the former.</li><li>When choosing between similar products with different names, consumers prefer products with healthier-sounding names.</li><li>If you are eating at a restaurant you believe is healthy, you assume that the food choices you are making are healthy as well. </li><li>People who think their meal is healthy are more likely to add side dishes, drinks and desserts, resulting in over twice as many additional calories. </li><li>Items marketed by firms known as socially responsible stewards are assumed to be better and healthier products.</li></ul>

Research On The Health Halo Effect

Humans show biases in many ways. We are what researchers call cognitive misers, we conceptualise our world using mental shortcuts in an effort to make quicker, more efficient decisions. One area in which we rely on mental shortcuts is food consumption.

The Health Halo Effect

The health halo: how good PR is misleading shoppers

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