Labeling food with exercise needed to burn it off could help curb calorie consumption

AN EXAMPLE OF LABELING WITH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY INFORMATION. (AMANDA J DALEY)

Can labeling foods with how much physical activity it would take to burn the calories lead people to make healthier choices? The findings of a new analysis suggest they may help. Researchers looked at 15 studies that measured participants’ behavior when they were presented with food labels that included physical activity information versus when they weren’t. Those given modified labels — such as how a bar of chocolate with around 230 calories would take 42 minutes of walking to burn off — chose foods that had about 65 fewer calories. Over the three meals per day a person typically consumes, this could be up to 195 fewer calories on a daily basis. Regular overconsumption of calories leads to excess weight and even small reductions in daily caloric intake could be beneficial, the authors suggest.