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The health halo: how good PR is misleading shoppers
The Health Halo Effect
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.
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Don’t Believe Healthy Labels
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.
Research On The Health Halo Effect
- This effect often leads to consumers confusing “low fat” with “low calorie”, which results in the overconsumption of the former.
- When choosing between similar products with different names, consumers prefer products with healthier-sounding names.
- If you are eating at a restaurant you believe is healthy, you assume that the food choices you are making are healthy as well.
- 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.
- Items marketed by firms known as socially responsible stewards are assumed to be better and healthier products.
The Health Halo Effect
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.
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Mental Shortcuts
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What Is a Health-Halo
It’s when people overestimate the healthiness of a food item because of unwarranted correlations. Research indicates that this effect causes people to consume larger portions and may even be a cause of obesity.
Subway Vs. Mcdonalds
A study comparing the two restaurants found that those who ate at Subway underestimated the calories in their meals more than those who ate at McDonald's.
Because Subway sandwiches are considered healthier, people are more likely to add a cookie and a soda. While people who eat at McDonald's are not under the health-halo so they’re less likely to order sides with a Big Mac.
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100 Calorie Packs
These pre-portioned packages usually contain little to no nutritional value, and people often eat more than one.
Instead, prepare your own 150 calorie snack by combining almonds and yo...
100% Wheat Bread Or Brown Bread
That doesn’t mean they are made of 100% whole grains. All 3 components (endosperm, germ, and bran) of a grain must be present for it to be classified as a whole grain.
Yogurt
It’s made by adding bacteria to milk, which can soothe several gastrointestinal ailments. But highly sweetened yogurts are like candy in a container instead of a valuable dose of dairy.
Opt for Greek yogurt, which is thicker in texture, and also contains double the amount of protein and less sugar than most yogurts.
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The origins of the breakfast myth
Much of the research suggesting that breakfast is essential for health is funded by cereal makers.
Companies like Kellogg, Quaker Oats and others whose businesses depend on p...
Breakfast and weight loss/gain
There’s no clear evidence that breakfast consumption promotes weight loss or that skipping breakfast leads to weight gain.
It might actually be a bad strategy for weight loss because eating breakfasts means taking in a higher number of calories/day.
The health halo of breakfast
...is not backed up by research.
It is possible for breakfast to have health benefits, especially for some groups (growing children and athletes), but there’s not a lot of good evidence behind those benefits.
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