If you've ever had a hard time losing weight, despite
the fact that you were making healthy eating choices, listen up...
It could be because of a psychological effect called
the "health halo" that leads you to overeat - without you realizing it!
Researchers out of Cornell University decided to do a series of studies dubbed the "McSubway" project. [1]
Brian Wansink - lead researcher and director of
Cornell's Food and Brand Lab in Ithica, NY - and his team studied the
habits of folks eating out at Subway (advertised all the time as the
healthy fast food alternative) and McDonald's (typically associated with
being super-indulgent and bad for you).
What did they find?
People tend to signifcantly overeat when making what they think are healthy choices.
For example, in one of the studies, Wansink and his team separated 46 graduate students into two groups.
One group received a coupon for a McDonald's Big Mac (which clocked in at 600 calories).
The second group received a coupon for a Subway 12-inch Italian sub (clocking in at a whopping 900 calories!).
The students were not told the number of calories in
their sandwiches. In addition to the coupon, both groups were offered a
menu where they could let the researchers know what extras they would
like to order in addition to the sandwich.
Can you guess who ended up eating WAY more calories?
If you guessed the Subway group, you're right.
Those with the Subway coupons ate an average meal worth
1,011 calories. Those with the Big Mac coupon ate an average of just
648 calories.
Says Wansink, "There's a health halo that surrounds a
lot of the foods at restaurants like Subway that leads people to overeat
on side dishes and grossly underestimate the number of calories they
consume."
In another experiment, the researchers interviewed over
500 people after they had eaten their lunch at either Subway or
McDonald's.
People eating at McDonald's underestimated the calories
they ate by an average of 484 - while those who had Subway
underestimated their calories by an average of 681!
I think this is VERY interesting research that gives us
some insight and awareness to what's going on when people swear they're
eating healthy - yet still can't seem to drop the pounds.
What can you take away from it?
If you're making healthy choices, just stick with the one healthy choice you're making.
For example, if you're choosing a salad, stick with just the salad and maybe some water or a low-calorie drink.
Don't eat the salad, and then think to yourself "Well, I
had the salad and that's low calories, so I can go ahead and have a few
french fries and maybe a little bite of dessert."
Alternatively, if you've been eating healthy and low
calories, don't start snacking thinking that you "can" because of all
the healthy foods you've been eating.
As we saw from the Cornell study, every little bit adds up to a lot.
To help you, keep a nutrition log and write down
everything you eat, along with the appropriate calorie counts. Use a
food scale if you need to, in order to be more accurate.
I think if you do that even for just a week, you might
be surprised at how succeptible we all are to the "health halo" despite
our thinking that we're making good choices.
Remember, what gets measured gets improved. In this
case, measure your calories and your waistline will improve!
And by the way, if you're serious about taking your
health and fitness to the next level this Summer, why not take advantage
of your FREE Fitness Consultation? (an $85 value)
During this consult, you'll receive detailed
information on how to get fit and trim that's tailored to YOUR body.
There's no obligation and it's totally and completely free. To sign up, click here
References:
1. Chandon, Pierre and Brian Wansink (2007), "The Biasing Health Halos of Fast Food Restaurant
Health Claims: Lower Calorie Estimates and Higher Side-Dish Consumption Intentions," Journal of Consumer Research, 34:3 (October) 301-314. |
Quote Corner
"Nothing splendid has ever been achieved
except by those who dared to believe that something inside them was
superior to circumstance." - Bruce Barton
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Thursday, August 8, 2013
Beware of the "Health Halo!"
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