Did you know that a can of soda contains about 250 calories? It is possible that this data leaves you indifferent, or you do not get the idea of what it means. But, you might think twice before opening the can when you know that to burn these calories you have to run for about 50 minutes.
This was the reflection made by the authors of a study recently published in the American Journal of Public Health . The researchers explained that the objective was “to examine whether providing clear and understandable information on energy could reduce the purchase of certain products, such as sugary drinks, among adolescents.” To do this, they selected four stores in Baltimore (USA) located near various institutes and quantified the amount of sugary drinks that young people bought each day. Later, they put up different informational posters next to the cupboard where the soft drinks are displayed. In these posters they explained that a can of soda contains 250 calories, which is ten percent of the recommended daily intake. In addition, other panels emphasized the effort involved in burning this caloric intake: around 50 minutes of running.
The results indicated that these messages reduced the consumption of sugary drinks and increased the consumption of water. In addition, the information with the most impact was that which referred to the physical activity necessary to burn the calories ingested.
Although some studies have reached different conclusions than theirs, the researchers highlight the importance of getting clear messages to the consumer. One of the conclusions of the authors of the work is that many people are not able to interpret the caloric information that is provided on the product label, so it is convenient to explore more effective strategies to facilitate its understanding. And it seems that, when we talk about equivalent amount of exercise, the message is much clearer.
