another reason to carefully weigh and measure your food

Atlantique
Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
edited September 25 in Health and Weight Loss
The "health halo effect".

Basically, this is a phenomenon in which people underestimate calories when they believe a food to be 'healthy' or 'low-fat', and overestimate calories of foods they believe to be fatty or "unhealthy". Sometimes, the addition of something 'healthy' to a meal leads people to underestimate the calories for the ENTIRE MEAL.

Here's one of many articles on the subject of 'health halos': http://nutritionunplugged.com/2010/04/the-devilish-effect-of-a-health-halo/

Replies

  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
    I totally agree!!! A lot of people overeat healthy foods because they say it's healthy, and they just don't get results. Also, people are too afraid to eat "bad" food...I mean, a Girl Scout Thin Mint cookie only has a whopping 40 calories...so I can easily slide 4 of those bad boys into my diary, feel satisfied, and still lose weight. :flowerforyou:
  • TiniTurtle
    TiniTurtle Posts: 595 Member
    truth!
  • emadigan
    emadigan Posts: 89 Member
    That;s why I love girl scout Thin Mint cookies!!!! They are the best dessert/snacks.
  • SaraTonin
    SaraTonin Posts: 551 Member
    ... Now I feel better about this morning's thin mints. I didn't even look at the calorie count!

    Anyway, yes, great advice!
  • dilansmom
    dilansmom Posts: 14
    oh man! I need some thin mints!
  • tweety170
    tweety170 Posts: 167
    Dangit and I was just debating having a couple thin mints...I haven't eaten any yet and the box is almost gone! I think I'll have a few. :)
  • LarryPGH
    LarryPGH Posts: 349 Member
    I mean, a Girl Scout Thin Mint cookie only has a whopping 40 calories

    Wait -- really?!?!?!? Woo hoo!!!! :drinker:
  • sassyg
    sassyg Posts: 393
    oh soooo true!

    I make this fruit crumble dessert, the fruit is all good but the crumble topping is just flour, butter, sugar and oats (and lots of it cos, yum!). my MIL eats sooo much of it cos "it's fruit it's healthy!"
    *headwall*
  • Just1forMe
    Just1forMe Posts: 624 Member
    Also, people are too afraid to eat "bad" food...I mean, a Girl Scout Thin Mint cookie only has a whopping 40 calories...so I can easily slide 4 of those bad boys into my diary, feel satisfied, and still lose weight. :flowerforyou:


    I'm right there with ya! I am not on a "diet". I plan on doing this pretty much forever. My forever will not be one of constant deprivation in the name of being "healthy". I try to eat the best I can, choosing good foods as much as I can, but if I don't get a few sweets in, this would never be sustainable for me. YMMV :)
  • knittnponder
    knittnponder Posts: 1,953 Member
    This is precisely why I weigh everything out. Between the scale and my heart rate monitor I'm hoping I have it fairly dialed in.
  • appleshells
    appleshells Posts: 165
    My problem with the thin mints was I couldn't stop at 4. I promised myself I was going to freeze individual baggies of 4 to snack on. Ummm yeah, I ate the whole box.

    I weigh my fruit now too. One of my mfp friends and I were surprised to see apples that we thought were small were really worth more calories once we weighed them! I weigh everything!!!!
This discussion has been closed.

Categories