Women who read food labels are thinner than those who don’t, according to a new survey.
The study, conducted by researchers at the Universities of Tennessee and Arkansas; the Norwegian Institute for Agricultural Finance Research; and the University of Santiago de Compostela in Chile, focused on the relationship between reading the food label and obesity.
Using data from the U.S., the researchers found that women who examine food labels weigh almost nine pounds less than those who don’t look at nutritional information.
The researchers also found that women who smoke are less likely to look at food labels. People who live in cities are likelier to examine nutritional information, as are those with a high school or college education.
Lead study author Maria Loureiro said that emphasizing the need to look at nutritional labels could be an effective technique in fighting obesity. She also said that restaurants could help by listing calorie counts on their menu.
Obesity, which is linked to diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease, is one of the most predominant and troubling health issues in the U.S., affecting 37 percent of adults.
The study was published in the journal “Agricultural Economics.”
