More people are choosing to go organic. That’s why natural food markets not only sell a variety of organic fruits and vegetables, but cookies, crackers, dairy products and all types of products made with organic ingredients. It seems that people like seeing that organic label so much that they eat more of it. In some people’s minds, the word “organic” means it’s okay to indulge. That’s not a good thing if you’re trying to watch your calories.
Are Organic Labels Causing You to Overeat?
In a study carried out at the University of Michigan, researchers gave college students Oreo cookies. The cookies were described to the students as being regular Oreo cookies or Oreo cookies made with organic flour. The participants were then asked to compare the calories of these cookies with other cookie brands and decide whether these cookies should be eaten more or less than other brands of cookies.
The results? The participants consistently believed the Oreos made with organic flour had fewer calories, and that they could eat them more often than other brands of cookies not made with organic ingredients. In the minds of these students, organic was synonymous with healthier and lower in calories.
There’s a Tendency to Eat More When Something is Seen as Healthy
The same tendency to overeat happens when you give people foods that are labeled as low in fat or calories. In their minds, that label means it’s healthy, and they can eat more of it. Many people just see the words “low-fat” and never both to read the label to find out the calorie content. Low-fat foods are frequently high in carbs to make up for the lack of fat, and low fat doesn’t necessarily mean low in calories or healthy.
What Does This Mean?
It’s easy to be lulled into a false sense of security when you see the word organic. Don’t automatically reach for a package of organic cookies or potato chips and assume you’re choosing something healthy, and you can get by with eating more. Chances are these products are no lower in calories than non-organic brands.
It pays to carefully read labels before purchasing a food product. Otherwise, you’ll be lulled into thinking you can eat more because of the “health halo” effect. Even organic cookies and chips are high in calories. It pays to know what you’re eating before you dip your hand into the bag too many times. It could come back to bite you when you step on the scale.
References:
Live Science. “Organic Labels May Trick Dieters into Eating More”
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