Traditional nutrition labels aren’t really much of a deterrent for most people. Typically, we underestimate the calories and have no reference point for understanding the numbers listed.
One recent U.S. study, published in the American Journal of Public Health, has found an effective way to encourage people to drink water instead of surgary soft drinks.
Researchers found that providing easily understandable caloric information, specifically in the form of a physical activity equivalent, may reduce the likelihood of sugar-sweetened beverage purchases by as much as half.
In an experiment with teens at four neighborhood corner stores, the most effective label showed how much exercise was necessary to work off the number of calories consumed. For example: "Did you know that working off a bottle of soda or fruit juice takes about 50 minutes of running?"
"People generally underestimate the number of calories in the foods and beverages they consume," said researcher Sara Bleich. "Providing easily understandable caloric information – particularly in the form of a physical activity equivalent, such as running – may reduce calorie intake from sugar-sweetened beverages and increase water consumption…”
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