Food Labels: A Survey on Prevalence and Health Effects - Research Paper Example

Food Labels: A Survey on Prevalence and Health Effects The United States applied the standardized use of nutrition labels in 1994 in accordance to the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) which aimed to give more product information to consumers that will help them enhance the quality of their eating practices (Wojcicki & Heyman, 2012). Using nutritional labels has been connected with lower fat and energy intake based on the experimental studies of Chu et al. in (2009) and Temple et al. (2010). The paper intends to know the prevalence of nutritional label reading among college students and if gender affects this practice. It also aims to find a connection between food nutritional label reading and health conditions. The research questions are: (1) Do college students read nutrition labels? (2) Does gender affect nutritional label reading practice? (3) Are those who read these labels healthier in terms of Body Mass Index (BMI)? Survey The research design is a survey design that aims to focus on college students. The survey has ethical concerns of confidentiality and reducing psychological harm (Babbie, 2010, p.292), so the survey form considers these issues. The survey has three hypotheses: Hypothesis 1: Those who read nutritional labels consider nutritional information when buying products. Hypothesis 2: Those who read nutritional labels tend to be healthier than those who do not in terms of BMI. Hypothesis 3: Women tend to read these labels more than men. The Survey Questionnaire is as follows. See Figure 1. Figure 1: Survey Questionnaire Methods The survey was done in three supermarkets last week during afternoons and evenings. Participants were approached based on whether they seemed to be college-age levels. The maximum participants were 10 for each supermarket for a total of 30 participants. There was a conscious attempt to have equal male and female participants too. The survey was done by the researcher and two friends. In addition, the survey continued until the researcher was able to acquire completed questionnaires. The final sampling included: 16 men and 14 women from different large or middle-sized universities and colleges. Their ages ranged from 18 to 24 years old. Findings Findings showed that the majority of these students (n=21), or 70%, read nutritional labels, and that they use these labels to affect their purchasing decisions. They also read food nutritional labels for new products they buy (n=21). Many of them said that they avoided food with MSG or monosodium glutamate, transfat, and artificial colors, preservatives, and coloring. The data showed support for Hypothesis 1. In addition, those who read nutritional labels were usually healthier and thinner than those who did not which supported hypothesis 2. Those who read labels had normal BMI, around 18.5–24.9, while those who did not, around 88% (n=8 of 9), had BMIs that are greater than 30. Though not all who do not read food labels were heavier, many of them are considered obese. Finally, women also tend to read labels more than men. Of the 9 people who rarely or did not read food labels, 7 of them are men which supported hypothesis 3. Finally, majority of the participants agreed that people should read nutritional labels (n=24). Discussion Findings showed that those who read nutritional labels consider nutritional information when buying products. This matches the findings from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (2013) which said: “More than half (54 percent) of consumers said they read a product's label the first time they buy the product. That's a 10 percent increase from 2002.” More consumers, including younger ones, are now conscious of the food they eat. In addition, those who read food labels tend to be thinner than those who did not. The study from Plataforma SINC (2012) confirmed that people who read food labels stayed thinner than those who did not. Furthermore, this study showed that more women than men read food labels, which the study of Plataforma SINC (2012) reflected too. This could be because of the social pressure for women to be thin, or probably because they are more active consumers of health information. Finally, the study did not consider racial differences which can also affect if and how people use food labels. Wojcicki and Heyman (2012) noted racial differences in nutritional label reading practices and knowledge. They highlighted a weakness of this study, which is that it did not consider race/ethnicity effects. Conclusion It is important to read nutritional food labels because they inform consumers of the content of these products. Knowing the content will guide them in avoiding or decreasing fat, sugar, salt, and cholesterol intake. This study showed that college students dominantly practice reading nutritional labels, especially women, and that these labels help them make purchasing decisions. Considering food labels may also be helping them maintain normal BMI because they avoid energy-dense foods that may also be rich in fat, salt, cholesterol, and/or sugar. Future studies should examine how people will be encouraged to food labels to improve their health conditions and to maintain healthy BMI. References Babbie, E. (2010). The practice of social research (12th ed.) California: Wadsworth. Chu, Y.H., Frongillo, E.A., Jones, S.F., & Kaye, G.L. (2009). Improving patrons’ meal selections through the use of point-of-selection nutrition labels. American Journal of Public Health, 99(11), 2001-2005. Plataforma SINC. (2012, September 13). People who read food labels stay thinner, study finds. Science Daily. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120913084813.htm Temple, J.L., Jonson, K., Recuper, K., & Suders, H. (2010). Nutrition labels decrease energy intake in adults consuming lunch in the laboratory. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 110(7):1094-1097. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). (2013). Survey shows gains in food-label use, health/diet awareness. Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm202611.htm Wojcicki, J.M., & Heyman, M.B. (2012). Adolescent nutritional awareness and use of food labels: Results from the national nutrition health and examination survey. BMJ Pediatrics, 12. Retrieved from http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2431/12/55 Read More