Why Healthy Eating Can Make You Fat
Did you know that some “healthy” Subway sandwiches contain more calories than a Big Mac?
It’s true.
We also tend to choose side dishes, desserts and drinks with up to 131% more calories when the main dish in a restaurant is advertised as “healthy.”
According to new studies from the Journal of Consumer Research, this may explain why obesity rates have continued to rise even though healthier food has become popular.
In one study, consumers estimated that sandwiches from so-called healthy restaurants had 35% fewer calories than sandwiches from restaurants that didn’t make health claims.
After underestimating the healthy foods’ calories, the consumers then went on to choose higher-calorie side dishes, desserts and drinks.
As mentioned before, those choices contained up to 131% more calories.
Worst of all, the “healthy” main course in this study already contained 50% more calories than the “unhealthy” one.
The researchers suggest that we shouldn’t just think of food as good or bad. We should also know how many calories are in a particular food.
So even if a restaurant advertises healthy food and has some low-cal offerings, make sure your food choices from that restaurant don’t contain too many calories.
Or you could eat “healthy” and still become fat.
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August 30th, 2007 at 10:45 am
I always underestimate calories in restaurant food. That’s why I avoid restaurants as much as possible when I’m dieting. They make you fat.
August 30th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
Always a problem for me, too.
August 30th, 2007 at 2:54 pm
I do this a lot. When I eat a main dish that I think is low in calories, a lot of time I’ll sneak something extra to make up for it and then I end up overeating. I think the reason I do this is because the main dish wasn’t really something I liked or it wasn’t satisfying but I ate it because I thought it was healthy.
August 30th, 2007 at 4:55 pm
The answer is simple, don’t eat in fast food restaurants. It’s hard to call that food healthy anyway.
August 30th, 2007 at 5:15 pm
You can look up the restaurant online and see if they have calories listed for the food they cook. I’ve done that before for some of the big chains.
August 30th, 2007 at 6:34 pm
The girls I work with like to go to fast-food places for lunch. The way I try to control my calories is to drink water, unsweetened iced tea, or black coffee instead of ordering a soft drink. It’s not a foolproof solution, but it helps.
August 30th, 2007 at 7:10 pm
Skip dessert. Drink water or iced tea. That’s a ton of calories saved right there.