To further broaden the knowledge of consumers about the food, they consume, the Royal Society of Public Heath (RSPH) pushes the addition of labels that shows how much activity would be needed to burn off the calories contained in the packaged food.
Because the nutrition facts and breakdown can be a little too vague for everyday shoppers and buyers, the organization argues that people usually underestimate the needed work and exercise to burn the calories they eat in everyday goods.
RSPH noted that the most common cause of obesity is the consumption of calories that are not burned off, leaving the calories in the body that will later develop in to diseases.
As an example, they illustrated that a mocha coffee containing 290 calories takes 53 minutes to walk off and a blueberry muffin takes 48 minutes to fully burn the calorie intake.
A positive response and feedback was given by the food and drink industry, remarking that the idea was "worth exploring".
Exercise prompt
Their proposal includes the use of activity symbols on packs that would give the consumers the work they need to do in order to burn what they will eat. According to them, this method will "prompt consumers to choose healthier options or exercise more."
Numerous studies often show that the nutritional facts and table that are printed on the packaging are disregarded and misunderstood by buyers because of information overload. Time is also a key factor, according to these studies, shoppers spent just six seconds glancing at the food before tossing it in or out their cart.
RSPH aims that through their initiative, the nutritional labels on the packs should be easy to understand.
Through the labels, RSPH hopes that it will also serve as a reminder to the public that being physically active is important and should never be taken for granted. Add to that the fact that it would actually boost your mood, energy while reducing stress and depression.
2,000 adults were surveyed and RSPH found that more than 60% of people agree and would support their proposal-the introduction of "activity equivalent calorie labelling", while more than half has expressed that the change would encourage them to think about their shopping choices and opt for the healthier ones, eat smaller portions and exercise more.
More and more initiatives by the government and organizations are being realized after research showed that two-thirds of adults in the UK are currently overweight or obese.
"Although nutritional information provided on food and drink packaging has improved, it is evident that it isn't working as well as it could to support the public in making healthy choices," According to Shirley Cramer, chief executive of the Royal Society for Public Health, "Activity equivalent calorie labelling provides a simple means of making the calories contained within food and drink more relatable to people's everyday lives, while also gently reminding consumers of the need to maintain active lifestyles and a healthy weight," she added.
The proposal earned a nod from the Food and Drink Federation, as their spokesperson said that the inclusion of the activity equivalent information has the potential to change the health game widely.
"As an industry, we are looking at what more we can do to help people use the existing nutrition information provided to understand how different foods and drinks fit within a healthy lifestyle," their representative said.
The FDF is responsible in allowing what food companies what to put on their food labels.