If you haven't noticed already, everyone and their mother seems to be on a health kick. Diets, Exercise, eating healthy, switching to non-fat / sugar-free / 0 carb ... who knows what else! Well believe it or not...Advertisers have caught on as well... they know that in order for people to buy and consume their products it has to be attractive to their consumers. And what do their consumers want They want to be able to consume the products they love without the guilt of high calorie, high carb foods. While most advertisers are under regulation and are not allowed to advertise certain things that aren't even closely related to their product...they have found tricks to promote their products in the best way possible. I did some research and found a blog that had 10 great tips for consumers to look for when purchasing product....some are pretty unbelievable!
1."Less Sugar"
Example Product : Heinz ( Reduced Sugar ) Ketchup
The first food advertising trick has to do with the common “reduced sugar”. Reduced sugar Heinz ketchup only has 1 gram of sugar per serving which is 75% less sugar than their regular ketchup. And you all know sugar is pretty unhealthy if consumed a lot, So you'd most likely choose this one right??
Well the trick with these reduced sugar, or less sugar products is that they replace the sugar with artificial sweeteners. Sucralose, an artificial sweetener, is listed as one of the ingredients. Artificial sweeteners have found to have negative side affects on your body...so maybe stick with your regular ketchup this time.
2. "Low Carb"
Example Product : 0 Trans Fat Flour Tortillas
Many low carb products hit the market a few years back as more and more people started to really watch their health. This low carb tortilla only 6 net grams of carbohydrates. The other 11 grams of carbohydrates are fiber. Sounds awesome right! You can finally eat all the tortillas you want!
Well even though the 0 grams of trans fat this product claims to have there is still hydrogenated oil which is not healthy in itself. However, based on FDA regulations, if the product has less than .5 grams of any fat per serving, they are allowed to list it as 0 grams. Misleading?...uh yeah.
3. "Contains Healthy Antioxidants
Example Product : Cherry 7UP
Example Product : Cherry 7UP
So its a hot day and your craving your favorite soda... 7UP. Go to the local gas station and wow! 7UP contains healthy antioxidants..what a bonus! News flash...any antioxidants that might be present as a result of the cherry flavoring is completely cancelled out and has no nutrition whatsoever. While 7UP never claims to be "healthy" per say they do advertise this to make it seem better then it really is.
4. "Whole Grain"
Example Product : Trix
It seems as though every cereal you come across has a "Whole Grain" stamped across the front. So if its whole grain it must be healthy right? Wrong.... Claiming health benefits is one of the biggest food advertising tricks in the book. If you look at the ingredients the first one listed is whole grain corn. Ingredients are listed in order of weight from highest to lowest. Now, take a look at the second ingredient – sugar. The third? Corn meal. Forth? Corn Syrup. Wow..that sounds like a nutritious breakfast right? Hmmm...maybe the "tricks" aren't just for kids..
5. " Heart Healthy"
Example : Quaker Weight Control Oatmeal
Heart Healthy Quaker Weight Control
I'm sure you've all seen the Quaker oatmeal that says “Weight Control” in big letters on the front and who doesn’t want to lose weight? Unfortunately this is another food trick... claiming that a product is good for the heart and will help you manage your weight when it clearly wont.
In the ingredients you’ll see maltodextrin which is basically glucose – one of the highest glycemic processed substances in the market. = Not healthy. What this means is that maltodextrin is easily digestible and is absorbed quickly by the blood stream – causing a surge of insulin. Insulin is a fat storage hormone. You’ll also see acesulfame and sucralose – 2 artificial sweeteners which are not even close to helping with weight control or heart health.
Well that's a pretty general list of what to look out for on your next trip to the grocery store. Just make sure you read ingredients and watch for keywords like Right, Smart, or Healthy – these are all important keywords that advertisers use to draw you in and make you believe that their product is better then the competitors. Have fun shopping!
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