Reading Calorie Label May Make You Rethink Of Your Food Choices

Do you love eating pasta, cookies, fries, lasagne or fat cheese burger? If yes, then after reading this you might resist eating these foods after reading their calorie content information, say researchers. As per the study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, mere looking at the calorie chart of your favourite foods will not only make them less appetising, but will also change the way your brain responds to these food. "Our findings suggest that calorie-labelling may alter responses in the brain's reward system when considering food options," said co-author Andrea Courtney, postdoctoral student at the Stanford University in the US. "Moreover, we believe that nutritional interventions are likely to be more successful if they take into account the motivation of the consumer, including whether or not they diet," said Courtney.

For the study, the researchers included 42 undergraduate students aged between 18 and 22, including 22 dieters and 20 non-dieters. They viewed 180 food images without calorie information followed by images with calorie information and were asked to rate their desire to eat the food. On a scale from 1 to 4 (1 meaning 'not at all', 4 as 'very much'), they indicated how likely they would eat the food.

The findings of the study showed that dieters and non-dieters both rated calorie-labelled foods as less appetising; this effect was strongest among dieters. Dieters take calorie information more seriously even when it is not mentioned explicitly, and the presence of calorie information can lead to healthier food decisions, study suggested.

"In order to motivate people to make healthier food choices, policy changes are needed that incorporate not only nutritional information, including calorie content, but also a public education component which reinforces long-term benefits of a healthy diet," noted Kristina Rapuano, a postdoctoral student at Yale University in the US.

It is always a better practice to read the calorie label before buying or eating any food product. Consult your dietitian for if there is any confusion related to the calorie intake.