Researchers studied movie theaters, holiday receptions, and homes, and concluded that people eat an average of 28 percent more total calories when they eat low-fat snacks than regular ones.
"Obese people can eat up to 45 percent more," reports lead researcher Brian Wansink, Ph.D., in his book, Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think. Dr. Wansink says, "People don't realize that low-fat foods are not always low-calorie foods � fat is often replaced with sugar. Low-fat snacks are an average of 11 percent lower in calories, but people wrongly believe they are around 40 percent lower."
The study by Dr. Wansink and his associates looked at two groups of people attending a holiday open house. This group was given identical regular chocolates that were labeled as either "regular" or as "low-fat." People served themselves an average of one-third more of the candies labeled as "low-fat."
During a second study, the conclusion showed that the results from the first study were because "people believe they will feel less guilty eating the low-fat foods, so they tend to overindulge," according to Pierre Chandon, co-author and marketing professor at INSEAD in France.
Both studies seem to show that labels on food lead food consumers to react and eat in different ways. Both of the studies had their respective results published in the November issue of the Journal of Marketing Research. The study, "Can 'Low-Fat' Foods Lead to Obesity?" was cited by the Economist as one of two significant studies published that month.
Dr. Wansink says that there is a clear message with his study. "Stick with the regular version, but eat a little bit less. It's better for both your diet and your taste buds."
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