Researchers are pushing for the use of visual aids and graphics to make the public aware about the amount of exercise needed to burn calories on the labels of food items in the campaign to curb obesity.
This was the clamour of health researchers published in the latest edition of the British Medical Journal where the Royal Society for Public Health was campaigning for ‘activity-equivalent calorie labels’ on food products being sold in the market.
RSPH chief executive Shirley Cramer pointed out that more than two-thirds of people in the United Kingdom are either overweight or obese and awareness plays a key role in educating the public.
“Consumers take about six seconds to decide on products they find in grocery stores and supermarket,” Cramer said, adding that a lot of people find the current nutritional labels ‘too confusing’, which are loaded by technical information not many people are knowledgeable about.
Cramer suggested that using graphic representations appeal easily to the general public, especially on information that can easily be understood, like the amount of time needed to work for a set of exercises to be able to burn off all the calories gained from the consumption of a food product.
This was also bolstered by a survey conducted by the group, where almost two-thirds of some 2000 survey respondents claim they will support this proposed labelling and over 50 percent stated that they are more inclined to follow the instructions for them to aspire for healthier and better living.
The study also showed that most people do not know how much calories a person needs to be considered healthy, but with these new proposed labelling method, people are given the chance to make wise choices and also motivate people to begin exercising.
The Center for Disease Control in the United States reported that based on statistics that 35.1% of adules aged 20 years old and above are obese. Combining data from for US residents, at least 69% are both categorized as overweight and obese.
Obese and overweight people are at higher risk of contracting the following diseases and health conditions;
- Hypertension
- Increased cholesterol levels
- Diabetes
- Coronary heart disease
- Stroke
- Gallbladder diseases
- Osteoarthritis
- Sleep apnea and breathing problems
- Cancer
- Low Quality of Life
- Mental illness resulting from depression
- Body pain and difficulty with some, if not, most physical functions.
People who are obese and overweight are more likely at risk of an early death due to health complications compounded by this condition.
The post Images Showing Exercise To Burn Calories Pushed For Food Labels appeared first on NUTRITION CLUB CANADA.
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