Nutrition labels could have a great effect on our daily nutrient intake. As we have learned in class, nutrition labels can have an effect on one’s diet and it can help one live a healthy life. I noticed that every time I was part of any discussion regarding nutrition labels or nutritional education it has been always focused on younger generations. Some companies assume that there is no need of nutritional knowledge for older generation or assume that they already have been educated. But do they know much about nutrient labels?
Even though older generation (elderly) tend to face most of the health problems, most corporations do not focus on that population. This study had focused on the effects of nutrition labeling and nutritional intake across various age groups. This study divided participants into three categories: 20 -39 years old, 40- 59 years old and greater than 60 years old. The participants were subdivided into two groups. Nutrition Label Recognition (NLR) group consisted of those were able to recognize the existence nutrient labels, and Nutritional Label Usage group (NLU) were those who actually used nutrient labels when buying food or making food choice.
The researchers collected their data using single 24-hour dietary recall method; self-report survey was used as well. Across all the groups the researchers took into account some factors that will help us better understand the results such as education level, employment, agriculture and fishing industry groups, and gender. They found that people with higher education levels tend to recognize the nutrient labels more compared with those who are less educated. One interesting thing they found was that unemployed participants showed the highest recognition level of the nutrient label. On the other side, agriculture and fishing industry group had lowest recognition level. Additionally, data showed that students and housewives had highest level of nutrition label usage.
What do you think? Which age group is more likely to not only recognize the labels but actually use it?
The younger generation groups were more likely to use the nutrition label and follow it compared to the older generation. The participants that had the highest level of NLR and NLU were between the ages of 40-59. After reading this article, it makes sense because the older generation does not have much education about the nutrition labeling. Nutrition knowledge is crucial for meeting nutrient needs and health, because there are many chronic diseases that have strong correlation with diet. In Korea where the research was conducted, nutrient label system was not legally implemented until 1990s. Therefore the findings of this research make sense, the elderly groups (>60 years old) of NLR and NLU both had low nutrient intake due to lack of understanding the labeling system. Nutrient labeling did not have an effect on older participants, because it did not influence their diet. A common misunderstanding among all groups was regarding protein or fat intake.
After reading this article, it reminded me of my grandmother who avoids nutrient labels. I am able to better understand why she is resistant of using nutrient label because she probably does not have much nutritional knowledge and does not know how to use this label. Next time you come across a resistant person please take your time to help them. Especially if that person is elderly, because that person is more likely to have more health issues in general compared to other adults age groups. There are many health diseases and complications relating to diet. Also, don’t forget about yourself make sure you read nutrient labels and before making a decision on what to buy or eat. Healthy diet is a key to live a healthy life.
Read about it more here
Hak-Seon Kim, Chorong Oh, Jae-Kyung No, Can
nutrition label recognition or usage affect nutrition intake according to age?,
Nutrition, Volume 32, Issue 1, January 2016, Pages 56-60, ISSN 0899-9007,
http://0-dx.doi.org.library.lemoyne.edu/10.1016/j.nut.2015.07.004.
(http://0-www.sciencedirect.com.library.lemoyne.edu/science/article/pii/S0899900715002907)
This was an interesting read. I agree with you that older people may not have any knowledge about what is actually nutritious food. Back in their time, college and a higher level of education was not the norm for young adults. Personally, I feel that this is where I have gained most of my knowledge about nutrition, so it makes sense that older people may not know
ReplyDeleteGrowing up, I have always shopped with my grandma, mom, or aunts and I have never seen them look at a nutrition label. I think a big part of this is because in Vietnam, they didn't have much so food was food no matter what the nutrition values were. Moving to America was a big change for them and I think that it is difficult for them to change a habit, in this case, of looking at a nutrition label. However, in taking this class, I hope to displace what I have learned to them, along with the customers I encounter at work and help them make better food choices that can prevent health issues later on.
ReplyDeleteI think that part of the reason that the elderly do not pay as much attention to the nutrition label is because they do not care as much as the younger generations. The younger generations now have all of these diets that everyone is on or trying. My grandma used to diet all the time, but instead of looking at the nutrition labels all she would do is look for the foods that had advertisements for being Fat Free. So, whenever my family would go to her house everything we would eat would be fat free. However, my grandma never looked at the nutritional labels because she was just interested in the fat free part. Many of these foods she was buying actually contained more added sugar to make the foods taste the same as the ones with fat included.
ReplyDeleteWhat you shared makes a lot of sense. However, I was surprised that younger generations used the label more. I was expecting it to be relatively equal in not using the label. I was expecting middle-aged parents to be most likely looking at the label. However, I agree with you, especially with the piece about your grandma. Not only does my grandma hardly look at nutrition labels, a lot of the foods in her fridge are expired usually. I think it depends on the individual person and their lifestyle as to how much they care to look at the nutrition label.
ReplyDeleteEverytime I go grocery shopping I hardly pay attention to the nutrition label. I just purchase foods that are on sale or whatever catches my attention and looks tasty to eat. However, I am constantly reading the ingredients which is just below the nutrition label since I am allergic to eggs and shellfish. The only time I really pay attention to the nutrition labels and how many calories I am consuming is when I decide to go on a diet. Then I really pay attention to the nutrition label because I try to limit how many calories I am intaking. I assume that the younger generations are reading the nutrition labels more frequently because they want to stay healthy and are trying to eat clean and lose weight. Also, the younger generation might have a better understanding of what the nutrition labels mean.
ReplyDeleteIt is eye opening how not reading labels can screw our diet. There are many products that look very innocent and "healthy" until you turn it over and read that its filled with high fructose corn syrup or some other additives that are very harmful. For example in class we saw that MinuteMaid Lemonade contained much more sugar than Coke. I would never ever guess that. Thankfully there are labels, and if we are careful enough we should be able to pick and chose the right foods for us.
ReplyDeleteMy family has never looked at nutrient labels when going grocery shopping. Although, it is very important to understand what you are purchasing in terms of sugar, fat, and sodium content- it is also imperative to learn about the actual ingredients in this processed foods. Looking at the nutrient labels to recognize various 'allergic foods' such as soy or nuts is crucial and can help prevent any anaphylactic reactions. I can see how the younger generations are more prone to look at the labels because of how we are consistently bombarded with the newest food trends and diets; while our grandparents could probably care less about that type of 'nonsense'. The lifestyle of our parents and grandparent is very different from our own and that also plays a role in the findings of this study.
ReplyDeleteWe can see how much advertising plays role in what people buy and eat but the nutrition lab often gets little to no attention. Before I took nutrition I never payed any attention to Nutrition labels. I think the nutrition labels are helpful when trying to choose healthy options of foods to eat but knowing how to read and what the numbers mean is more important. I think the knowledge we have gained from nutrition course majority of the population lacks it and it can be very challenging in even reading the nutrition label for many people. I think it one thing to recognize the nutrition label but it's more important to understand the information to make healthier choices.
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