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Nutritionist says you should always avoid the items placed next to supermarket checkouts
A nutritionist has revealed the ‘unhealthiest’ items in the supermarket you should be suspicious of every time you go shopping.
Have you ever found yourself spending more time and buying more products than expected at the supermarket? A nutritionist has explained how the strategic product messaging and smart layout of stores can make shoppers buy more, including which unhealthy items to stay away from. If you thought British supermarkets were strange, we need to take a look at what is inside our own!
Nutritionist explains false ‘health benefits’
In an episode of The Checkup�podcast�with Doctor Mike, American molecular biologist and nutritionist Marion Nestle spoke all about the corrupt world of the food industry and the smart layouts of supermarkets.
Board Certified Family Medicine Doctor Mike Varshavsk asked Marion what makes her most frustrated at the supermarket, to which she answered: “Supplements, health claims and all the junk food.”
Marion Nestle is passionate about false “health benefits” that are labelled on food product to encourage people to purchase them.
In a chapter of Food Politics online, Marion explains the bottom line: “Health claims are not about health. They are about selling food products.”
Marion reports that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says that a healthy product must simply meet two requirements: It must contain a meaningful amount of food, and it must not contain more than certain upper limits for saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars.
Instead of believing the “health claims” at first glance, Marion is instead encouraging people to research the ingredients they are buying and consuming.
Marion Nestle also reiterates the strategic placement of products in supermarkets: “Remember supermarkets are in the business of making money.”
The expert encourages consumers to be suspicious of where they are buying their foods, stating: “There is a reason why every single product near a cash register is there. Somebody paid to put it there.”
Good Rx Health states that studies confirm that the shopping environment can influence food choices and dietary behavior. A strategic supermarket layout will put certain items in your eye line, persuading people to buy them.
Shoppers should be suspicious of supplements in the supermarket
A dietary supplement is a manufactured product intended to supplement a person’s diet by taking a pill, capsule, tablet, powder, or liquid.�Popular dietary supplements lining store shelves include multivitamins, vitamin D, echinacea, and fish oil.
Earlier on in the podcast, Marion revealed that 70% of the American population adult population take supplements because they feel that their diets are not adequate, despite evidence showing that the single most important problem in the American diet is too many calories.
The nutritionist pointed out how ironic it is that the people who take supplements are the people who need them least…
While some supplements can be beneficial, such as iron supplements which are helpful for young babies, Marion implies that many are unnecessary and essentially act as marketing tactics to encourage consumers to buy more.
Marion Nestle is an American molecular biologist and nutritionist.
