We make food decisions several times a day – from what time we eat to how much – but a new University of Otago study has found we are not very good at judging the energy-density of what we consume.
Lead author Dr Mei Peng, of the Department of Food Science, says inaccurate judgements about food energy and/or portion size can lead to overeating and subsequent weight problems.
“It is very important to understand how people make these decisions, particularly in the current food environment, where foods are more accessible, palatable and energy-dense than ever.
“There is already a large body of literature suggesting that people can vary considerably in terms of knowledge about food, but there is little understanding about how people differ from one another when making subconscious decisions about food,” she says.
Read more at University of Otago
Photo Credit: Free-Photos via Pixabay