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How health buzzwords trick consumers and create a 'health halo' effect
Health Buzzwords
... like ‘protein’, ‘paleo’ and ‘organic’ are used in marketing as key selling points for many of today’s health products. Yet these words can also trick consumers into believing a product is healthier than it really is.
Inaccurate health messages can be dangerous as they don’t help to educate consumers to make informed choices and are often in conflict with credible, accurate health information.
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Decreasing The Health Halo Effect
It is difficult for consumers to differentiate and make healthy choices between products when there is a wide variation in serving sizes and nutritional values. So, increasing the amount of information will not help.
The best way to tackle it is for writers, companies and consumers to ensure that people can understand the context and the information already existing on their labels.
Research On ‘Health Halos’
Protein bars are perceived as having an increased protein content and as healthier overall when the label reads “protein bar“ and “good source of protein. ”
The ‘Health Halo’ Effect
A ‘health halo’ occurs when a single health buzzword or claim causes a consumer to have other unsubstantiated positive impressions of the product.
Health halos in food advertising take the form of short messages on food packaging about the health benefits of an item. Product labels containing the words ‘low fat’, ‘organic’ and ‘gluten-free’ are perceived as healthy choices and influence consumer purchasing behaviors.
Health Buzzwords
... like ‘protein’, ‘paleo’ and ‘organic’ are used in marketing as key selling points for many of today’s health products. Yet these words can also trick consumers into believing a product is healthier than it really is.
Inaccurate health messages can be dangerous as they don’t help to educate consumers to make informed choices and are often in conflict with credible, accurate health information.
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Key Ideas
Organic junk food is still junk food
From a macronutrient perspective, organic junk foods are often identical to their conventional counterparts.
They tend to be equally high in sugar and low in pro...
Organic isn't always healthy
Many organic brands tend to cater to a health-conscious crowd, meaning they’ll often use less processing or healthier ingredients to appeal to their consumers. But the organic label alone does not guarantee this.
The “health halo” effect
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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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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 c...
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.