Beware of Deceptive Food Marketing

The image above is a packet of pretzels we received on a recent flight.  Examining the label, we decided this would be a perfect example for a new article.

Let’s look at a couple aspects of the packaging and label to see if we can spot examples of deceptive marketing.

First, notice the natural looking plants and earth tones around the edges of the packet?  This is a common technique to make the customer think the product is somehow “natural” and therefore healthy.  It is called an “appeal to nature,” and it’s purpose is to get you to believe that the contents are somehow superior.

Speaking of an appeal to nature, notice the way the label emphasizes that it is GMO free and contains monk fruit sugar.  If you look closely at the ingredients list you’ll notice that there are no GMO versions of the listed contents.  Therefore, the GMO label is a moot point.  Next, they emphasize monk sugar.  Monk sugar has become a very popular sugar and it is sold (once again) as being “natural” and “plant based.”  First of all, sugar is sugar.  It doesn’t matter the source, it is still an added sugar.  All sugar is plant based. It either comes from corn, sugar cane, beets, or is extracted from another fruit source.  Just because something is labeled “plant based” doesn’t mean it is good for you.

If you pay close attention to labels, advertising and marketing you will begin to notice that food companies are going to great lengths to try and disguise ultra processed foods as somehow being healthy or superior to other versions of those foods.  Let’s explore a couple more common examples.

Deceptive Grocery Stores

I won’t use actual names, but I will highlight three examples of area grocery stores that have employed visual techniques and other forms of marketing mastery to convince us they are healthy.  One example is here in Frankfort and we will call it “Ramianos,” and two stores in Orland Park which we will refer to as “Barterer John’s” and “Whole Paycheck” (maybe that second one was too obvious.

“Ramianos” first opened nearly a decade ago.  It’s logo and earth toned interior convinced shoppers that it was somehow a natural alternative to the traditional Jewel and Dominics we had in the area at the time.  At the end of the day, “Ramianos” is just a typical grocery store that sells typical grocery store products.  The rules we teach about shopping the perimeter (produce and meat) still apply.  You may be thinking to yourself that “Ramianos” is obviously just a normal store, what’s the point?

The point is that that when it first opened, patients were drawn to the hot bar and other options in the store and were somehow convinced that their selections in the store are still healthy simply because the presentation of the grocery store conjured images in our heads of it being a healthy and natural food store.

The two Orland Park examples are prime example of what we refer to as “organic junk food.”  Both of those stores are rife with ultra processed junk foods disguised as health foods simply because they sport the “organic” labels on them.  Folks, organic pop tarts are still pop tarts.

Fast Food In Disguise

“Our family doesn’t eat fast food.  If the kids want burgers and fries we don’t go to McDonald’s; we go to Meatheads.”  This was an actual conversation I had with a patient several years back when the Meatheads franchise was still operating in Frankfort.  Meatheads is still fast food.  Just because they don’t operate under the golden arches, doesn’t mean it is somehow a healthier option.  Once again, some of you are probably thinking that this is an obvious example, but you would be surprised at how many people think that just because something isn’t the traditional fast food model like McDonalds, Burger King, or Wendy’s that it is somehow a better option.

Truth is: it’s all the same.

Portillos, Buona Beef, Al’s, are all examples of fast food.  Eating there more than a couple times per year is highly detrimental to you health and fitness goals.  The best of the worst would probably be Chipotle.  You can go to Chipotle and order menu items that are conducive to a healthy lifestyle, but is that what most of us do?  Not really.  Likely when we go to Chipotle we order a massive burrito, chips, and maybe a soft drink.  What could have been a 400-500 calorie dinner is now teetering up closer to 1500-2000 calories!

So, What is the Point

The point is simple.  Food companies have one goal in mind, and that is to sell you highly processed and refined food that is cheap to produce and can be marked up to make massive profit margins.  Consumers are desperate for healthier alternatives, and food company executives are wise to that which is why we continue to see more and more attempts to deceive us through use of words like “natural,” “plant based,” “high in fiber,” and “Good source of protein.”

The devil is always in the details.  Read your labels, look for added sugars, check the calories, and always be wary of what is being sold to you!