Wednesday22 January 2025
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Words that help reduce food intake: Researchers discovered the impact of product labeling on consumption habits.

Labels on many products often contain crucial information that consumers rely on when making their choices. However, recent research has revealed that this information can also help us consume fewer calories under certain conditions.
Слова, способствующие снижению потребления: исследование показало, как маркировка продуктов влияет на их использование.

A recent systematic review provided scientists with insight into the potential impact of calorie labeling on food and beverage choices and consumption. The study's findings suggest that widespread implementation of labeling could lead to a moderate reduction in calorie intake and purchasing behavior. However, while food showed positive trends, the study of alcohol proved to be more complex, as noted by News Medical.

The new review, published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and conducted with the participation of Gareth Hollands, a senior researcher at the Evidence Synthesis and Behavioral Science department at University College London, emphasizes the need for further research to fully understand the long-term effects of labeling, particularly concerning alcoholic beverages, where data remains scarce. It addressed the growing global health issues related to poor nutrition, a primary cause of obesity and non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

These diseases lead to millions of deaths annually, especially among disadvantaged populations, placing a heavy burden on healthcare systems. While many individuals express a desire to adopt healthier eating habits, external environmental factors often hinder their efforts. Calorie labeling, which includes mandatory nutritional information on food packaging and menus, has been proposed as one of the tools to encourage healthier dietary choices. Although it is becoming increasingly prevalent, alcohol labeling remains rare, despite growing advocacy for its importance.

To assess the effectiveness of calorie labeling, the review analyzed 25 studies, including 18 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), involving participants ranging from children to adults. These studies primarily focused on the impact of clearly visible calorie information on food and non-alcoholic beverages. The results indicated that calorie labeling slightly reduced the number of calories chosen and consumed.

High-quality data obtained from 16 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving nearly 10,000 individuals showed that calorie labeling led to a reduction in the consumption of food and non-alcoholic beverages by an average of 11 kcal per meal. Six non-randomized studies, mostly conducted in the USA, reported reductions ranging from 14 to 73 kcal per operation, with similar results observed in the UK.

Regarding food consumption, an average decrease of 35 kcal per meal (approximately 5.9%) was noted, although the quality of evidence was lower due to the limited number of studies and their short-term nature. The impact of calorie labeling was found to be consistent in real-world settings such as restaurants, cafeterias, and supermarkets, although laboratory studies and participants with higher socioeconomic status showed a slightly greater effect.

However, the studies did not reveal a significant impact of labeling on the choice of alcoholic beverages, and the reliability of the evidence regarding its effectiveness in this area was assessed as very low. Furthermore, no studies were found that examined the effect of calorie labeling on actual alcohol consumption. The final review concluded that it is associated with a modest but potentially significant reduction in the choice and consumption of calories.

Specifically, calorie labeling resulted in a reduction of selected calories by 1.8% and consumed calories by 5.9%. However, the effectiveness of the intervention varies depending on conditions and demographic characteristics of participants, and data on its impact in areas with high levels of deprivation are limited.

This material is for informational purposes only and does not contain advice that may affect your health. If you are experiencing issues, consult a specialist.