Food Labels as 'Health Halos'

By ACSH Staff — Apr 30, 2010
Research presented at experimental biology conference this week in Anaheim, Calif., showed that people who ate cookies labeled as organic believed that their snack contained 40% fewer calories than the same cookies that had no label.

Research presented at experimental biology conference this week in Anaheim, Calif., showed that people who ate cookies labeled as organic believed that their snack contained 40% fewer calories than the same cookies that had no label.

The study s coauthor, Cornell professor Brian Wansink, explains, An organic label gives a food a health halo. It's the same basic reason people tend to overeat any snack food that's labeled as healthy or low fat. They underestimate the calories and over-reward themselves by eating more.

Dr. Whelan recognizes this phenomenon: People think of organic food as being just generally healthier, so they eat more of it. The trans-fat ban was a similar boon to the food industry. People who see food labeled as trans-fat free are quite convinced that they were buying healthier, lower-calorie products, when indeed this is most definitely not the case.

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