Caloric estimation of healthy and unhealthy foods in normal-weight, overweight and obese participants. (December 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Larkin, Derek; Martin, Colin R.
• Is Part Of: Eating behaviors. Volume 23(2016:Dec.)
• Page Start: 91
• Page End: 96
• Publication Date: 2016-12
• Subjects: Food -- Obesity -- Calories estimation -- Food perception -- Food labels; Eating disorders -- Periodicals; Compulsive eating -- Periodicals; Obesity -- Periodicals; 616.8526
• DOI: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2016.08.004
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1471-0153

Abstract

Abstract: Individuals make dietary choices each time they consume food or drink, and assign labels to each item, such as un/healthy, high/low in calories, high/low in nutrients. These labels are thought to be snap judgments based on prior, and often limited nutritional knowledge. The aim of this study was to examine the perception of the caloric content of 'healthy' and 'unhealthy' foods. Participants ( N = 141) rated 53 food images on perceived healthiness/un-healthiness alongside the caloric content. Participants were subdivided into three groups: BMI (normal-weight, overweight, obese). Findings suggest that weight status impacts on participant's caloric estimation of foods perceived as healthy, but only marginally for unhealthy foods. However, not all foods were consistently labeled as healthy or unhealthy, on these occasions weight salience appears not to have influenced estimations of caloric content. Foods that confound the dichotomous labeling of healthy or unhealthy appear to gain a 'branding' that confers either greater or fewer calories than they actually contain, on these occasions weight salience does not appear to influence the labeling; implications are discussed. Highlights: Individuals assign labels to each food or drink item they consume. Heuristic judgments can influence the perceptions of nutritional/caloric content. Some foods gain a label of un/healthy which appear to influence caloric estimations. Weight status appears to influence caloric estimations for some, but not all foods.