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Reducing overweight and obesity? How reading nutrition labels can help

Kirsten van Hooijdonk
*Disclaimer: Please note that parts of this blog have been automatically translated.*

Food labels are the highly informative labels wrapped around foods. They contain important information about, for example, ingredients and the amount of fats, sugars, fibers, protein and other nutrients present in a product. Reading and understanding the information on these labels is important for a healthy diet because it helps you to make informed choices about what you eat and to be aware of what nutrients you are eating.

However, scientific research shows that many consumers do not look at food labels while buying food or do not understand the information1,2. In this blog, I therefore discuss the potential of being able to read and understand food labels and the opportunities for preventing/reducing overweight and obesity. Overweighta and obesityb among the Dutch population is a growing problem3. By 2022, 50.2% of Dutch adults were overweight and 15.1% were obese4. This is worrisome because we know that overweight/obesity increases the risk of health problems (including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and various forms of cancer)5 and the consequences for society are great (think e.g. of healthcare costs and reduced labour participation)6. How can we stop the rising trend in the number of overweight/obese Dutch people? One possible solution lies in being able to properly read and understand information on food labels. Scientific research shows that reading food labels can have a positive impact on our health7,8,9. For example, studies show that participants who read food labels generally have healthier diets than those who do not read food labels7,8 and that, on average, the Body Mass Index (BMI) of participants who read food labels is lower than the BMI of participants who do not read food labels9. If people who read food labels generally have healthier diets and lower BMI, why don’t we all read food labels? Although it seems like an easy task to look at food labels when purchasing a product, research has shown that information on food labels is difficult to understand and interpret correctly1,2,10. For example, we know that people generally understand simple terms such as ‘fat’, ‘sugar’ or ‘salt’ but have difficulty understanding terms such as ‘cholesterol’ or ‘fatty acids’1. Also, understanding the role of different nutrients in their diet, converting information from grams per 100 grams to grams per serving, and portion sizes seems difficult1. Additionally, as complexity increases, the ability to interpret information accurately appears to decrease1,2. How can we increase our food labelling reading and interpreting skills? There are many useful tools that individuals who would like to make more conscious food choices, adopt healthier diets or just want to know more about nutrition can use to improve their food label reading skills. For example, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre developed the ‘Kies Ik Gezond? (Do I choose healthy?)’ app that allows you to scan products and easily and quickly find out more about ingredients and nutrients in a product11. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre also developed the ‘Mijn Eetmeter (My Food Monitor)’ app, with which you can monitor your own eating pattern and get tips for (healthier) alternatives12. Are you picking up the groceries tonight? Take a look at the food labels and use the tips above to make conscious food choices/learn more about nutrition. Small adjustments can already make a big difference!   This blog was written by Kirsten van Hooijdonk (Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University) for RAD-blog, the blog on smoking, alcohol, drugs & diet.   Notes:
  1. Among adults, a BMI of ≥25 is considered overweight13.
  2. Among adults, a BMI of ≥30 is considered obese13.
  References
  1. Cowburn, G., & Stockley, L. (2005). Consumer understanding and use of nutrition labelling: a systematic review. Public health nutrition, 8(1), 21-28.
  2. Grunert, K. G., & Wills, J. M. (2007). A review of European research on consumer response to nutrition information on food labels. Journal of public health, 15, 385-399.
  3. CBS Statline. (2023, 29 maart). Lengte en gewicht van personen, ondergewicht en overgewicht; vanaf 1981. https://opendata.cbs.nl/statline/#/CBS/nl/dataset/81565NED/table?ts=1692950086044
  4. Volksgezondheid en Zorg.(z.d.). Overgewicht | Infographic. https://www.vzinfo.nl/overgewicht/infographic
  5. Williams, E. P., Mesidor, M., Winters, K., Dubbert, P. M., & Wyatt, S. B. (2015). Overweight and obesity: prevalence, consequences, and causes of a growing public health problem. Current obesity reports, 4, 363-370.
  6. Crawford, D. (Ed.). (2010). Obesity epidemiology: from aetiology to public health. Oxford University Press, USA.
  7. Anastasiou, K., Miller, M., & Dickinson, K. (2019). The relationship between food label use and dietary intake in adults: A systematic review. Appetite, 138, 280-291.
  8. Neuhouser, M. L., Kristal, A. R., & Patterson, R. E. (1999). Use of food nutrition labels is associated with lower fat intake. Journal of the American dietetic Association, 99(1), 45-53.
  9. Loureiro, M. L., Yen, S. T., & Nayga, Jr, R. M. (2012). The effects of nutritional labels on obesity. Agricultural economics, 43(3), 333-342.
  10. Miller, L. M. S., & Cassady, D. L. (2015). The effects of nutrition knowledge on food label use. A review of the literature. Appetite, 92, 207-216.
  11. Voedingscentrum. (z.d.). Voedingscentrum-app ‘Kies ik gezond?’ https://www.voedingscentrum.nl/nl/thema/apps-en-tools-voedingscentrum/kies-ik-gezond-.aspx
  12. Voedingscentrum. (z.d.-a). Mijn eetmeter: app en online. https://www.voedingscentrum.nl/nl/thema/apps-en-tools-voedingscentrum/mijn-eetmeter-app-online.aspx
  13. World Health Organization: WHO. (2021). Obesity and overweight. http://www.who.int. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight
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