Understanding
Nutrition Labels Can Be Challenging for Many
If you think you are the only one who gets confused trying
to read nutrition labels on food, relax - you have plenty of company.
In a study of educated adults - 75 percent of whom had at
least a high school education - most had trouble understanding everyday food
nutrition labels, says a report in the American Journal
of Preventive Medicine.
Dietitians are not surprised, since they constantly have
to explain food labeling to clients.
"The biggest problem is (figuring) serving size," says
Dr. Russell Rothman at Vanderbilt University, who led the study about nutrition
labels.
Dr. Rothman's team surveyed 200 primary-care patients from
a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds and asked them to finish a 24-item
measure of food label comprehension.
The participants answered, on average, just 69 percent of
the questions correctly.
Besides confusing serving sizes, persons were most often
mixed up about extraneous material on the label, says Dr. Rothman.
They often calculated the data incorrectly - for instance,
only 37 percent could figure the number of carbohydrates consumed from a 20-ounce
bottle of soda that contained 2.5 servings.
"A soda bottle is typically 20 ounces," notes Dr. Rothman, "and
it will say, 'servings per container is 2.5.' People will not realize that.
They think [the whole bottle] is a serving."
If the label says 200 calories per serving, many will mistakenly
think that means the whole bottle. However, after doing the math, the entire
bottle would actually provide 500 calories, he says.
"When
you are looking at food labels, take your time and be careful," advises Dr.
Rothman. "They are confusing and have a lot of complex
information in them. Pay particular attention to serving size and how to apply
that to how much you are actually eating."
Another expert, Susan Moores, R.D., a
spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, agrees
that serving size is where many people get tripped up on reading labels.
Moores says the first few ingredients listed on a label
can also give clues to a product's nutritional value
"You want to recognize what they are," Moores says. "If
you don't, that's a red flag. It means the food is probably not so nutritious."
One exception,
she notes, might be the label on fortified cereals, where many non-recognizable
names could be vitamins and other nutritious
ingredients.
Instead of trying to decipher the entire label, consumers
can learn a few tricks, Moores and Dr. Rothman suggest.
For instance, follow the "5 and 20" rule. "If a label says
it contributes 5 percent or less (of the daily value of a particular) nutrient,
that is good on some ingredients, such as sodium and cholesterol, fat and sugar," notes
Moores. But, she adds, it is not ideal for nutrients you want to increase.
If a label says it provides 20 percent of the daily value
of a nutrient, likewise, that's good for nutrients you want to boost - such
as vitamins, fiber, calcium or iron - but not for those you want to curtail.
You can look on the packaging itself for
specific phrases, such as "low in fat," suggests Dr. Rothman.
"These labels are regulated by the Food
and Drug Administration [FDA]," he says, so consumers have some assurances
that the foods are as advertised.
That is not foolproof, however.
"Some foods low in calories may not be better (than other
foods) in other nutritional ingredients. They may have too much salt or fat," says
Dr. Rothman.
If you still have trouble with label reading, Dr. Rothman
offers two more ways to be sure you focus on nutritious foods.
First, you can follow an eating plan, such as Weight WatchersTM,
he says, which advises you to eat five servings or more of fruits and vegetables,
two to three servings of low-fat or non-fat dairy products daily, and to limit
your calories.
"If you still find it very hard, when you meet with your
physician or a registered dietitian, ask for help from them," he says. "Ask
them to suggest something else practical you can do."
Always consult your physician for more information.
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