New research suggests that calorie counts on menus and food labels might not help people make healthier food choices. In fact, seeing calorie information may make it harder for consumers to judge which foods are healthy.
A study published in the Journal of Retailing found that when people considered calorie counts, they became less certain about their decisions. Healthy foods seemed less healthy, while unhealthy foods seemed not as bad. This confusion led to more moderate and less accurate judgments.
The researchers conducted nine experiments with over 2,000 participants. In one test, participants were shown common healthy foods, like salads, and less healthy options, such as cheeseburgers. Without calorie information, people correctly saw a clear difference between the two. However, when calorie information was included, their ratings of healthiness became less extreme.
Another part of the study showed that asking people to estimate calories reduced their confidence in judging food healthiness. This drop in confidence caused them to rate foods in a more neutral way. Interestingly, this effect was specific to calorie information. Other nutrition details, like fat or carbohydrate content, did not create the same confusion.
The researchers call this effect the “illusion of calorie fluency.” People believe they understand calorie information because they see it so often, but in reality, it can mislead them. This false sense of understanding can backfire, making people less sure of their choices.
These findings raise questions about the effectiveness of calorie labeling policies aimed at promoting healthier eating. While transparency is important, the study suggests that calorie numbers alone are not enough to guide consumers to better choices.
The researchers recommend adding clearer context to calorie information. For example, using color-coded labels, like traffic light indicators, or showing how a food fits into daily recommended calorie intake, could help. Some European countries already use such methods.
However, the study’s authors are not suggesting that calorie labels should be removed. Instead, they emphasize the need for better communication tools to make this information more useful.
The study also points to larger issues in health communication. “Just because information is available doesn’t mean it’s useful,” the researchers noted. Helping people understand how to use nutrition data is key to making healthier choices.
Future research will explore how calorie confusion interacts with nutrition apps, AI-based recommendations, and personalized health tools. Whether these technologies can improve understanding—or simply boost false confidence—remains to be seen.
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