A health survey found that half of American’s check nutritional labeling on product packaging before they buy. But despite the fact that American’s are trying to be health conscience and checking labels, the medical study indicates many Americans struggle with interpreting and applying that data on the side of the box.
Going into the health study, 89 percent of people felt confident that they understood nutritional labels and could use them to make healthy choices. But only 38 percent of participants correctly calculated the total grams of carbohydrates in a 20-ounce bottle of soda that contained 2-1/2 servings.
And when given the nutrition data on a bagel, only 60 percent could figure how many grams of carbohydrates they would consume if they ate only half of it.
Many participants confused the nutritional values with the recommended values.
For example, how many people know what two ounces of pasta looks like? The label says that two ounces is a portion. Is that a side dish? Or is it the main dish?
Do you find nutrition labels helpful or confusing? What would you like see changed?
