Hold the Fries! How calorie Content Makes You Rethink Food Choices

Lawndale News Chicago's Bilingual Newspaper - Health

Lawndale News Chicago's Bilingual Newspaper - Health

Seeing pictures of food with calorie information not only makes food less appetizing but it also appears to change the way your brain responds to the food, according to a Dartmouth-led study published in PLOS ONE. When food images appeared with the calorie content, the brain showed decreased activation of the reward system and increased activation in the control system. In other words, foods that you might otherwise be inclined to eat became less desirable once the calorie content was displayed. The study is the first of its kind to examine how your brain makes food choices when calorie information is presented. The results are timely given that earlier this year, certain food chain establishments had to comply with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s menu labeling law requiring the disclosure of calorie information on menus and menu boards. In addition, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity affected nearly 40 percent of U.S. adults in 2015-16.

Comments are closed.