Why Do Low-Fat Food Labels Cause Obesity?

Nutrition became an eye opening topic while taking this course since I am taking note of each meal I have and how many calories I take in a day. Before this course, the food labels were irrelevant to me. However, after giving the food label a chance, dietary plans have been extremely easier to take note of. After thorough research, one research journal caught my attention that has some surprising information that no one would consider. A research journal written by Brian Wansink and Pierre Chandon (2006) basically consider several studies that include low-fat and normal foods. Research shows that low-fat nutrition labels can allegedly lead to obesity. Generally people would think that low-fat foods would lead to a healthier diet, but they are wrong. People choose the low-fat foods to make themselves feel less guilty, nevertheless, they end up eating more than they should be since they think the low-fat foods are healthier. The authors began a study with incoming students and their families that included M&M’s. Two bowls were placed on a table, one with normal M&M’s and one with low-fat. The people who took the normal M&M’s grabbed a small portion, while the people who prefered the low-fat M&M’s grabbed a large handful. What they found out about this study is that people will eat less if they think the food consumed has more calories, and people who choose the “low-fat” M&M’s grabbed more since they assume it has less calories. Basically, since people are consuming more of the low-fat foods, this is leading them towards obesity quicker. I fully agree about what they are stating in this research journal since people do not understand …show more content…
This course and the first exercise that was assigned to us has influenced me to control what I eat and work four days a week. Nutrition labels are the key to controlling a healthy diet and more people need to be educated on how to read