Nutritional Info on Food Not Always Correct

01/11/2010

Many people who set out to adopt healthier lifestyles get started by joining a gym and paying closer attention to nutritional information on the food they buy. However, a recent report suggests that people may want to take such information with a grain of salt.

According to a recent Time Magazine report, a new study that appears in the Journal of the American Diabetic Association finds that prepared foods can contain an average of 8 percent more calories than their labels claim, while restaurant meals may contain up to 18 percent more calories than reported.

The report also pointed out that this discrepancy for now is acceptable in the eyes of the Food and Drug Administration, and adds that an average person who consumes 5 percent more than the 2,000 calories they require per day can typically expect to gain 10 pounds in a year.

Overall, people need to be extra wary of processed foods and restaurant meals if they are trying to lose weight or improve their health in general.

Those who do make substantial progress toward a healthier lifestyle can generally expect to enjoy a better quality of life by heading off chronic medical conditions that can result in serious problems and higher health insurance premiums over time.

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