Whether you are watching your waistline or trying to improve your overall health, many of us think about upgrading our eating habits at this time of year.  But as you are trying to cut your fat intake or watch the sugary carbs, be careful you don’t get fooled by false perceptions of how healthy a food is.

Recently, the New York Times reported on research findings from a French marketing professor and a Cornell scientist describing what they refer to as the American “health halo.” In their study, people were shown a picture of an Oriental Chicken Salad and a large soda, or the same salad and soda with two crackers labeled “trans-fat free.”  On average, people estimated that the salad and soda had 1,011 calories and that the salad, soda and “healthy” crackers had only 835 calories (the actual calorie count was 934 calories with no crackers and 1,034 calories with them).  In other words, adding something perceived to be healthy like “trans-fat-free crackers” caused people to dramatically under-estimate the calories they were eating.

In general, we know that people are pretty bad at estimating calories in foods, but it turns out that how bad we are depends on the “health halo.”  For example, the same researchers showed that customers at McDonald’s more accurately estimated their calorie intake than customers at Subway, largely because the Subway meals were thought to be “healthy.”  Even more worrisome was the fact that the Subway customers were more likely to add a soda and cookies to their sandwich, because they believed (falsely, in this case) that they were getting fewer calories.

Other studies have shown that when a food is labeled “low fat,” people under-estimate how many calories it has, eat more of it, and are more likely to indulge in extra foods because they don’t feel “guilty.”  It’s as if the healthy label magically subtracts calories!

So, how do you avoid succumbing to the “health halo?”  First, when considering any packaged food that makes a health claim (“low fat,” “low carb,” “heart-healthy,” etc.), be suspicious. Look at the nutrition label for calorie information and don’t just assume that it’s good for you.  Secondly, if you are at a restaurant known for healthy options, be a savvy consumer.  Try to get the nutrition and calorie information for menu items if available, but if not, ask yourself whether the particular item you want is actually likely to be low calorie or healthy. 

According to the research, simply staying aware and asking ourselves these questions before we eat goes a long way helps us avoid the trap of false assumptions about a food’s healthfulness and calories.  Of course, a big part of the trap relates to eating processed and packaged foods that are designed and marketed to convince you that they are healthy and you should eat more.  If you stick to eating whole foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and unprocessed meats, the “health halo” is probably less likely to be an issue.  Here’s to a happy and healthy New Year!