“Organic” Does Not Mean Low Calorie

Posted By elissa on Jun 12, 2010 | 3 comments

CNN reports on a new study, published in the psychology journal “Judgement and Decisionmaking”…

Popular culture has promoted strong associations between the concepts of “organic” and “healthy,” leading some consumers to believe that organic foods have fewer calories than their non-organic counterparts, the study said. This may also lead people to make choices about foods that are counterproductive to maintaining or achieving a healthy weight.

…”As millions of Americans attempt to lose weight, eating organic foods – even desserts – may be viewed as a substitute for actual weight-loss promoting behaviors,” the authors write.

The research did not find an association between the body mass index of participants and their reported choices, but study authors recommend further exploration into the effects of “organic” claims with actual behavior of consumers.

The study is here.

Every time I go to a health food store, or grocery store with a health food section, I’m always struck by the amount of organic junk/convenience food on the shelves. There are organic sandwich cookies, snack crackers, boxed mac and cheese, candy bars, gummy bears and tons of chips.  It may be (relatively) pesticide-free, but NONE of it is particularly healthy, let alone lower-calorie.  It would not be hard to get (or stay) fat on such products. They may be a little better for the environment, but they don’t have much to offer w/respect to your wallet (expensive!) or your waistline.