Choosing Between High-Fat And Healthier Snacks: Warning Labels Better Than A Fat Tax

Since there are no healthy foods (or "junk" foods), only healthy eating, warning labels are a bad idea (there are other reasons). Still this is better than attacking the wallets and pocketbooks of the calorically responsible.

Warning labels on junk food would be more effective than a "fat" tax for deterring overweight people from making unhealthy purchases, a new University of Alberta study has found.

A survey of 364 shoppers in random Alberta grocery stores showed that while price alone wouldn't deter people from reaching for junk food, shoppers - including those with the heaviest body mass index - did heed a label that warned of high fat content and included a note that the item was being taxed because of it.

The study asked shoppers to choose between high-fat and healthier snacks in the 50 cent to $2 range. Some of the items came with a hypothetical warning label. The responses were analyzed, and showed three groups of consumers. While two of the groups were already sensitive to either price or less healthy snacks and tended to avoid them, one of the groups - the one with the highest body weight - seemed deterred only by the warning label.

In any event, we'll see how long that lasts.