Don’t worry it’s low fat!

pmbrandvold · 2019-09-07 17:56:54 UTC

Found this in the store today. Is there no end to the insanity? Of course we all know that high fat content is why the children are diabetic and obese…

PaulL · 2019-09-08 00:15:05 UTC

And red meat. Don’t forget red meat!

OldDoug · 2019-09-08 00:25:54 UTC

It’s a trifecta for some people - having milk, wheat and soy.

Sugar in both the yogurt and cookie pieces (if included), food starch, wheat flour, palm and/or canola oil, high fructose corn syrup, cornstarch, potassium sorbate…

Rclause · 2019-09-08 10:08:27 UTC

I can’t remember who said it but it was something like the only way they can make low fat taste good is to load it with sugars. Ever since when I see low fat I really see high sugar.

PrimalBrian · 2019-09-08 13:02:34 UTC

“with other natural flavors”

This is called the “health halo effect,” which I think is the next big frontier we’re going to have to tackle in our food industry. The halo effect is the concept of adding (or subtracting) an item from other products which, in the grand scheme of things, is designed to get people to focus on that versus the overall healthiness (or lack thereof) than the choice itself. Think “green smoothie” with 150g of carbs from mangos and pineapples. Think “fat free.” Think “organic” gummy bears, etc.

PrimalBrian · 2019-09-08 13:04:22 UTC

Research on front-of-package (FOP) labeling demonstrates that nutrient content claims (e.g., “low fat”) can lead consumers to perceive foods as healthier in general-effects that have been interpreted using halo effect theories of impression formation. Extending this work, the present study investigates whether these effects may depend on whether nutrient information comes in the form of a nutrient content claim (“good source of protein”) or embedded within the product title itself (“protein” bar)-an important question given the popularity of energy/nutrition bars and ongoing policy debates over food-labeling regulation. Results from a between-subjects experiment (n = 274) revealed that although both conditions increased perceived protein content for a nutritional bar, only the product title condition increased overall perceptions of product healthfulness-an effect mediated by increased perceptions of additional non-claimed “healthy” nutrients (fiber, iron). Finally, although the presence of a traffic light warning label increased perceived sugar and calorie content, it did not counteract the effect of the product title on perceived healthfulness. We conclude with a discussion focused on implications for policy and health halo effects in the context of food labeling.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Health Halo Effects from Product Titles and Nutrient Content Claims in the Context of "Protein" Bars.

C Fernan, JP Schuldt and J Niederdeppe, Health communication, Dec 2018

Research on front-of-package (FOP) labeling demonstrates that nutrient content claims (e.g., "low fat") can lead consumers to perceive foods as healthier in general-effects that have been interpreted using halo effect theories of impression formation. Extending this work, the present study investigates whether these effects may depend on whether nutrient information comes in the form of a nutrient content claim ("good source of protein") or embedded within the product title itself ("protein" bar)-an important question given the popularity of energy/nutrition bars and ongoing policy debates over food-labeling regulation. Results from a between-subjects experiment (n = 274) revealed that although both conditions increased perceived protein content for a nutritional bar, only the product title condition increased overall perceptions of product healthfulness-an effect mediated by increased perceptions of additional non-claimed "healthy" nutrients (fiber, iron). Finally, although the presence of a traffic light warning label increased perceived sugar and calorie content, it did not counteract the effect of the product title on perceived healthfulness. We conclude with a discussion focused on implications for policy and health halo effects in the context of food labeling.