COLUMBIA, S.C., April 19 (UPI) -- People watching their weight avoid foods they think are fattening choose salads instead but the salad may not have fewer calories, U.S. researchers say.
Study authors Caglar Irmak of the University of South Carolina, Beth Vallen of Loyola University and Stefanie Rosen Robinson of the University of South Carolina say dieters can be so involved with trying to eat virtuously that they are more likely than non-dieters to choose unhealthy foods that are labeled as healthy.
For example, study participants were presented with a mixture of vegetables, pasta, salami and cheese, served on a bed of fresh romaine lettuce. When the meal was identified as "salad" it was considered a healthy option, but when it was labeled "pasta," dieters perceived it as less healthy.
"Dieters likely assume that an item assigned an unhealthy name -- pasta -- is less healthy than an item assigned a healthy name -- salad -- and they do not spend time considering other product information that might impact their product evaluations," the study authors say in a statement. "Non-dieters do not learn to avoid foods based on names and, given that they are not focused on healthful eating, are more likely to dismiss cues that imply healthfulness."
