WEIGHT LOSS & NUTRITION

Food LabelsPresenter: David Ragin

HED 627 Methods in Health Education

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Objectives• To understand what a food label is.• To identify the primary items on a food

label.• To learn how to use food labels for

portion control and menu planning as part of a weight loss program.

Introduction• Food labels date back to the mid- 1800’s, when

the United States government began recognizing the need to set food laws.

• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulate food labels.

• Food labels provide information about the content and nutritional value of the food that consumer purchase. They assist consumers in making conscientious purchases of goods.

Reading Food Labels

What are?• Serving Size• Serving per container• Amount per serving• Percent Daily Values

Nutrition Facts• Total Fat (saturated and trans fat)

• Cholesterol

• Sodium

• Potassium

• Carbohydrates (dietary fiber and sugar)

• Protein

• Some Vitamins

Words on Product Labels

• Calorie free• Light• Fat-free• Low-fat• Reduced or less

fat• Lean • Extra-lean• Low in saturated

fat

Calories• Food provides energy to the body.• Amount of energy stored in food or how

much energy a diet can provide the body, measured in units of calories.

• A calorie is the amount of heat energy required to raise 1g of water from 14.5 °C to 15.5 °C.

• A nutritional calorie is 1000 calories or a kilocalorie.

Calories• Energy requirement vary depending on a

number of factors: body size and composition; physical activity; growth needs; pregnancy; and injury or illness..

• The greater the person’s activity, the greater the amount of energy needed. Any energy not used will be stored in the form of fat cells.

• Fats should make up no more than 30% of total calories consumed.

Calories• The amount of calories a person should

consume depends on their age, height, current weight, and desired weight.

• RDA for men – 2,800 day• RDA for women (nonpregnant) – 2,200

Food Label Tips• You can compare products easily

because serving sizes listed are comparable for similar food products.

• If you eat more than the recommended serving size at one sitting, change the amounts listed in the nutrition facts label.

Exercise• You want to lose weight, compare the

food labels of two similar items and answer the following questions.

1. Which tuna fish should you choose?2. Which milk should you drink?3. Which hamburger should eat and give

three reasons why it is healthier for you.

Anwers• You want to lose weight, compare the food labels

of two similar items and answer the following questions.

1. Which tuna fish should you choose? B is canned in water and has 220 calories.

2. Which milk should you drink? B is nonfat milk and has 86 calories.

3. Which hamburger should eat and give three reasons why it is healthier for you. A the ground beef hamburger. It is 90% lean, broiled has less fat, less sodium and fewer calories.

Questions?

References• UNR Cooperative Extension, URL -

http://www.extension.org/pages/Understanding_Today%27s_Food_Label:_Label

• Health Literacy Curriculum, URL - http://www.queenslibrary.org/ext/ALP/PDF_teachers/Session_17-We.pdf