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Many low-fat foods have SAME amount of calories ‘due to added sugar’

  • Study shows one in ten low-fat foods has more or same calories as regular
  • Manufacturers often use sugar to boost the taste of lower-fat foodstuffs
  • Rotherham Institute for Obesity gives findings to European obesity congress
  • Institute’s Dr Matthew Capehorn says dieters should read nutritional info

By
Harriet Arkell


Published:

03:55 EST, 30 May 2014

|
Updated:

09:20 EST, 30 May 2014

Dieters choosing low-fat foods in the hope of cutting calories should beware: they can contain even more calories than regular foods, research has found.

A new study found that while most low-fat supermarket products contain a third fewer calories than their regular fat version, ten per cent actually have more or the same calories, mainly due to added sugars.

Obesity specialist Dr Matthew Capehorn said weight-conscious shoppers should realise that choosing low-fat products made by brands including Weight Watchers could hamper their efforts to cut calories.

Low-fat bread and other foods can contain more calories than their regular counterparts, research shows

The study by the Rotherham Institute for Obesity, where Dr Capehorn is clinical director, found that Weight Watchers wholemeal thick slice bread had more calories than any own label, regular fat equivalent, while Weight Watchers sliced cheese also had more calories than own label equivalents.

REGULAR VS DIET – HOW THEY COMPARE

Weight Watchers wholemeal thick slice bread had more calories than any own label, regular fat equivalent.

Weight Watchers sliced cheese also had more calories than own label equivalents.

Asda natural low-fat yoghurt had more calories than Asda natural yoghurt.

Birdseye light and crunchy breaded chicken had more calories than Birdseye crispy chicken.

Sainsbury’s low fat custard had the same calories as Sainsbury’s custard.

Asda own brand low fat Italian dressing had more fat than the regular fat alternative.

It also found that Asda natural low-fat yoghurt had more calories than Asda natural yoghurt, Birdseye light and crunchy breaded chicken had more calories than Birdseye crispy chicken, and Sainsbury’s low fat custard had the same calories as Sainsbury’s custard.

Often, extra sugar was added to boost the taste of the lower-fat foods.

Dr Capehorn said: ‘Low-fat foods do appear on average to help reduce calorie intake…however appropriate food choices may still require reading nutritional information on the food labels, as ten per cent of low fat foods still have more calories, and 40 per cent have more sugar, than their regular fat counterparts.’

He began the study to establish whether low-fat versions of products were nutritionally healthier than their regular counterparts, mainly in terms of sugar and overall calories.

Of the ten most popular UK supermarkets, four provided enough information online for researchers to complete the study in November: Sainsbury’s, Asda, Waitrose and Tesco.

Fat, sugar
and calorie content for any low fat food that had a directly comparable
regular fat product made by the same brand were recorded.

Of
62 products that matched these criteria found in the four supermarkets,
56 low-fat products had fewer calories, and on average overall the low-fat products had 31 per cent less calories.

However, ten per cent of low fat foods analysed still had more or the same
calories than the regular fat version, while 37 of the 62 products (60
per cent) had less sugar than the regular fat alternatives.

One low-fat product, Asda own brand low fat Italian dressing, had more fat than the regular fat alternative.

Dieters hoping yoghurt will help them lose weight should check the calorie content (file image)

An example of where there was an obvious calorie saving with the lower fat version was Benecol light spread, which saved 216 kcals/100g compared with Benecol buttery spread.

Weight Watchers said it was redeveloping its wholemeal thick sliced bread after research found it had more calories than any ‘own label’ supermarket brand.

A spokesperson said: ‘Weight Watchers continues to strive to provide customers with high quality Weight Watchers Foods and we are constantly evolving our products to ensure this.

‘As such, we are redeveloping the Weight Watchers Thick Sliced Wholemeal Bread to ensure it is the best choice for our consumers.’

The findings by the Rotherham Institute for Obesity were presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Sofia, Bulgaria, yesterday.

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Comments (110)

what you think

The comments below have not been moderated.

Jayded,

Cardiff, United Kingdom,

21 minutes ago

I’ve been on a low carb high fat diet for the last year have lost 4 stone in weight, my mother is riddled with arthritis, obese in chronic pain thinks I’m killing myself. She has been convinced by her doctor that anything with fat in it is deadly despite seeing me lose so much weight. I also quit bread products, this completely cured my IBS which was severe. She thinks statins are a magic cure also!

Perry Winkle,

South Of No North,

34 minutes ago

Yeah but ti’s still low in fat!

KJC,

UK stuff the EU, United Kingdom,

23 minutes ago

And the benefit of that is what precisely? Fat is good for you. They remove the fat; it tastes crap so put in added sugar. Fat had been demonised but it is good.

null,

42 minutes ago

About time they someone admitted it!!

fed up,

birmingham, United Kingdom,

1 hour ago

TRY TELLING US SOMETHING WE DONT KNOW FOR A CHANGE !

ann,

essex,

1 hour ago

I know – It is impossible to buy organic, fat free yogurt of any brand, greek or natural without a lot of sugar added. If anyone knows of an organic, fat free, sugar free brand then please do let me know. Sugar is added to everything, I have been checking the labels.

Im,

Cambridge, United Kingdom,

1 hour ago

Of course there is extra sugar in there, they have to do something to give it a bit of flavour! Take the sugar out and it would be totally a plastic sponge more use in the kitchen sink.

Jessica12,

North Wales,

2 hours ago

We know.

paul,

deal kent, United Kingdom,

2 hours ago

this has dragged on for years when if ever will things improve

LauraJones,

London, United Kingdom,

2 hours ago

And people would know this if they simply learned a few things about nutrition rather than surrendering their own opinions to the latest headlines.

People say they don’t want a nanny state but are perfectly willing to buy into the idea that they aren’t capable of understanding subjects without a formal education in them. They only read the available literature and analyse it you know!!! Think people! For Gods’ sakes think!!

PoppyPig,

London,

1 hour ago

People do know this, Laura. You think you’re the only one who does?

LauraJones,

London, United Kingdom,

1 hour ago

No Poggy I think the those who do know it are in the minority.

Dave B -Brit ex-pat,

Uxbridge Canada, Canada,

2 hours ago

Take out the fat which is blamed for making you fat (wrong) but does cause cholesterol to rise (different to weight gain problem) which takes out the flavour so nobody wants the food so then replace it with salt which causes high blood pressure then add sugar to hide the bitterness of the salt leaving only the savoury (umami) flavour. Replace the unrefined cane sugar with cheaper HFCS which causes diabetes obesity then replace this with the neurotoxin aspartame which causes brain tumours….Why not just leave the fat in the food in the first place?

PoppyPig,

London,

1 hour ago

What evidence do you have that eating fat causes a rise in cholesterol? None at all, I suspect.

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