#DietaryEducation

A new peer-reviewed study is raising fresh questions about the effectiveness of displaying calorie counts on restaurant menus and food labels—an increasingly common sight in Thailand’s urban eateries and supermarkets. While these numbers are meant to encourage healthier eating, the latest research indicates they might have the opposite effect, leaving consumers more confused and less confident about their food choices.

Published recently in the Journal of Retailing, this study involved over 2,000 participants across nine experiments. According to the research team led by academics specializing in health behavior and consumer psychology, when people considered calorie information while judging food, they unexpectedly rated unhealthy foods as less bad and healthy foods as less beneficial. Even more striking, participants became less certain in their assessments after seeing calorie numbers, with their healthiness ratings on foods like salads and cheeseburgers converging closer together. Those who did not see calorie data could clearly distinguish between healthy and unhealthy foods, but calorie counts appeared to muddy these distinctions (The Conversation).

If you are consuming the typical modern diet, it’s likely you’re missing essential nutrients crucial for maintaining your health. Recent research highlights a growing concern over the underconsumption of certain key nutrients, notably fiber, calcium, vitamin D, and potassium, classified as “nutrients of public health concern” due to their significant impact on health outcomes. This trend, largely fueled by an increase in processed foods and a decline in fruit and vegetable intake, carries implications for the Thai population, particularly as global dietary patterns continue to shift.