Foods marketed as ‘healthier’ could lead to weight gain: study

You might want to reconsider putting that low-fat spread on your toast — research indicates that foods marketed as ‘healthier’ could make you put on more weight as they typically lead to larger portion size.

The interim results of Safefood-funded research, conducted among more than 180 adults on the island of Ireland who had a range of body weights, found that products with health and nutrition claims such as ‘low fat’ and ‘reduced fat’ could actually lead to people eating larger than recommended portions.

The research, carried out by a team at the University of Ulster, involved showing volunteers three pairs of food — one marketed as ‘healthier’ and an equivalent ‘standard’ product.

Volunteers were then asked to measure a recommended portion of each of these foods and then asked to rate how guilty they would feel if they ate what they perceived to be an appropriate portion.

The results showed the perceived appropriate portion sizes chosen by the survey volunteers was between 28% and 71% larger than the recommended portion size on the label for five out of the six foods.

Dr Cliodhna Foley-Nolan, director, human health and nutrition, Safefood, said: “There has been a huge increase in the number of food products with nutrition and health claims sold over the last 20 years, but we also know that the population’s weight has continued to increase.”

Principal researcher at the University of Ulster, Prof Barbara Livingstone, said: “This study supports what is described by many as ‘the health halo’ effect; that is, that consumers perceive these products to be healthier and with less calories than the ‘standard’ version food.”

* www.safefood.eu/Home.aspx