Fitness foods could make you fat

If you are trying to lose weight relying simply on « fitness » foods, it may backfire, new research suggests.

The « fitness » branding encourages consumers to eat more of those foods and to exercise less, potentially undermining their efforts to lose or control their weight, the study said.

« Unless a food was forbidden by their diet, branding the product as ‘fit’ increased consumption for those trying to watch their weight, » said study author Hans Baumgartner from Pennsylvania State University in the US, and colleagues.

« To make matters worse, these eaters also reduced their physical activity, apparently seeing the ‘fit’ food as a substitute for exercise, » the researchers said.

The authors investigated the effects of fitness-branded food on consumption and physical activity in « restrained » eaters — eaters who are chronically concerned about their body weight.

Participants were given trail-mix style snacks marked either « Fitness » or « Trail Mix » with a picture of running shoes which was added to the packaging to make the « Fitness » snack appear even healthier.

For those who were specifically trying to watch their weight, the effect of labeling was significant, causing them to eat far more of the snack marked « Fitness. »

Snackers eating the « Fitness » brand also chose to expend less energy during the exercise phase of the experiment.Read more here:www.marieprom.co.uk/evening-dresses