If you walk through the health food aisle of your local supermarket, you’ll probably be drawn to products with a long list of labels: vegan, gluten free, organic, non-GMO, all natural, keto, preservative free, fructose friendly… the list goes on. The more the merrier, right?
What makes you want to buy these products, and how could these apparently ‘healthy’ foods be the obstacle between you and your health goals?
The answer: health halos!
What is a health halo?
The concept of a health halo is based on the halo effect.
The halo effect is a type of bias where a person’s opinion of something as a whole is shaped by an impression from just one aspect. Positive (but unrelated) assumptions are made because of the halo effect.
For example, you might assume that someone is a great person if you hear that they like the same band as you. You don’t know this person yet, so this has nothing to do with their personality – but because of your positive feelings towards this band, you make positive assumptions about the person who also likes this band.
Likewise with health halos: people assume that a product is healthier than it actually is, based on one thing they know about it (which may or may not be nutrition-related).
One example of a health halo effect is underestimating the calorie content of items – for example, if a restaurant is perceived as healthy, a person might assume that the menu items are lower calorie. This can lead to excess consumption of these foods, which could be a hidden barrier to someone who aims to consume less calories overall.
Another example is assuming that products promoted by influencers are healthy, for example in ‘What I Eat In A Day’ posts or videos.
Examples of health halos
Below is a list of some common health halos:
Natural
The label ‘natural’ evokes an idea of the product being unprocessed and nutritionally rich. However, ‘natural’ is not a regulated claim for Australian food labels (1) and therefore has little meaning regarding the processing or nutrient density of a product. For example, salt may be labelled ‘natural’; it is still salt, which has a high sodium content, regardless of being labelled ‘natural’ or not.
Vegan / plant-based
This label is helpful for those who follow a vegan diet or avoid certain foods within the vegan diet. It is often assumed that vegan products are inherently healthier than non-vegan products. For example, vegan and non-vegan versions of an ice cream product may have similar nutrient profiles, but consumers are more likely to judge that the vegan product is healthier (2). However, this label does not necessarily indicate that a product is healthy – it only states that no animal-derived ingredients are present.
Gluten free
This label is important for those who follow a gluten free diet – for example, people with coeliac disease. It simply indicates that gluten is not present in the product. This label does not reflect the healthfulness of a product – only the absence of certain ingredients.
Organic
Organic refers to products grown without pesticides, herbicides or GMOs. In general, there is little nutritional difference between organic and non-organic products, although there may be slight differences in chemical residue levels (in Australia, this is monitored according to residue standards (3)). If you are committed to choosing organic products, be sure to check that the product is certified by an organic approved certifying body, as ‘organic’ is not a regulated term in Australia.
Low FODMAP
There are now more products with a low FODMAP label than ever before, which is great news for those with FODMAP sensitivities! However, this label doesn’t necessarily mean that the product is healthy – simply that it is suitable for those following a low FODMAP diet.
High protein / protein content-related
A ‘protein’ bar or ball must contain as little as 5g of protein per serve to have a ‘protein’ claim on its packaging (4). For those with high protein needs, check the nutrition information panel of your ‘protein’ products to make sure you’re getting a decent amount of protein. Alternatively, choose a naturally protein-rich whole food product instead!
This label only refers to protein content, not other nutritional aspects of the product. For example, one protein bar on the market contains over 5g of saturated fat; which, if consumed regularly, is not ideal for long term health despite the protein content.
Implications of health halos
The labels discussed above neither indicate whether a product is healthy or not healthy. These labels are just one aspect of food packaging and marketing to influence consumers to purchase products.
However, there are several areas where health halos may detract from healthy eating and wellbeing:
1. Health halos can make healthy eating seem expensive.
Exclusively buying foods with health halo-approved labels means that you would spend a lot of money in the health food aisle and miss out on the huge variety of (much cheaper) beneficial foods from across the whole store!
2. Health halos can contribute to food-related stress or dissatisfaction with eating habits.
If only foods with certain labels are considered healthy, a person may feel stressed when not eating these foods. A study by Rozin et al., 1999, found that in comparison to people from several other countries, Americans were the most worried about their diets, most likely to change their diets based on what they believed to be healthy, yet least likely to describe themselves as “healthy eaters” (5). This sounds similar to our Australian context!
3. Health halos can lead to frustration due to a mismatch between intention and reality.
People may think that they are making healthier choices by choosing health halo foods. When someone is dedicated to making these ‘healthier choices,’ but symptoms don’t improve or health goals still seem just as far out of reach, it can be easy to get discouraged and give up on healthy eating altogether.
What to look for instead
1. Look at the labels that are relevant for you.
For example, if you must avoid gluten, look for the gluten free label or check the ingredients. You don’t need to spend time looking for the ‘natural’ or ‘unrefined sugars’ labels to choose gluten free products.
If you have been advised to choose specific products (e.g. higher fibre, lower sodium), certain food labels can be useful! Australia’s Food Standards Code outlines the conditions that foods must meet to include these labels on their packaging (4). A dietitian can help you to know what to look for, considering your individual needs.
2. Think about the food overall, beyond the labels.
A healthy eating pattern is built on mostly whole foods (minimally processed foods, in their natural state – think of the five food groups). Processed foods can be part of a healthy diet, but it’s worth using discernment. If you are choosing an ultra-processed food, whether this product is organic is not the key factor that may affect your health.
Consider the adage “beautiful things don’t ask for attention”.
The foods that are beneficial for our health – such as fresh fruit and veg, and whole foods in general – don’t usually have labels to tell us how gluten free or natural they are. Sometimes healthy eating is simpler than it’s made out to be!
If you’re not sure how to find the right products for you, or need help separating healthy eating from health halos, speak to one of our experienced dietitians!
References:
- Food Regulation [Internet]. [place unknown]: Implementation Subcommittee for Food Regulation (ISFR); 2018. Getting Your Claims Right; 2018 Feb [cited 2022 Nov 17]. Available from: https://foodregulation.gov.au/internet/fr/publishing.nsf/Content/31BDC68CEC4A1964CA25801B00166C1F/$File/Getting-Your-Claims-Right-2018.pdf.
- Bullock, Lahne, Pope. (2019). Investigating the Role of Health Halos and Reactance in Ice Cream Choice. Food Quality and Preference. 80. 103826. 10.1016/j.foodqual.2019.103826.
- Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Residue and residue testing [Internet]. Canberra: DAFF; 2019 [cited 2022 Dec 6]. Available from: https://www.agriculture.gov.au/agriculture-land/farm-food-drought/food/nrs/about-residues-and-residue-testing.
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code – Schedule 4 – Nutrition, health and related claims. Canberra: FSANZ; 2017 [cited 2022 Dec 9]. Available from: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2017C00711
- Rozin, P., Fischler, C., Imada, S., Sarubin, A., & Wrzesniewski, A. (1999). Attitudes to food and the role of food in life in the U.S.A., Japan, Flemish Belgium and France: possible implications for the diet-health debate. Appetite, 33(2), 163–180. https://doi.org/10.1006/appe.1999.0244
