Male consumers are greatly at risk of underestimating the calorie content of the foods they eat, according to a new poll of 2,000 men conducted in the UK.
The study found that one in six men thought that their recommended calorie intake was between 3,000 and 5,000 calories a day, when in fact it is only 2,500. And many also believed that consuming 53g of saturated fat – more than twice the recommended level – was safe for them.
In addition, the group’s estimates for the calorie content of an eight-slice pepperoni pizza, a hotdog and a 225g sharing bag of crisps or tortillas was less than half the actual value.
The survey was commissioned by a UK-based chain of health clubs.
Kate Toland, head of marketing for Fitness First, said: “We were really surprised by the findings of this report – the level of confusion about calorie content is more prevalent than we’d anticipated.
“It’s good that men are taking a relaxed approach to food – we would never encourage obsessive calorie counting. However, it’s the difference between being fanatical and understanding that a curry and a few pints will take you way over the recommended daily allowance.”
The research revealed that, on an average night out, men consumed at least three pints, a bag of sharing crisps and a portion of chips – equating to an additional 2,544 calories, effectively doubling their intake for the day. Indeed, more than half of the men surveyed admitted they had no self-control when it came to what they eat and drink on a night out.
In fact, the only snack food for which the men, on average, over-estimated the calorie content was a cheeseburger; their estimate of 539 calories was far ahead of the 316 calories that it will actually set them back.
Toland continued: “Our researchers discovered that while the average male likes to look lean and stay fit, being low on time or energy can affect their approach to food. Most men cite their busy lifestyles as the reason why they don’t pay much attention to what they eat, and this is likely to affect the amount of times they exercise as well.”
In full: men’s perceptions of fatty foods
Pizza was the food that the men surveyed were most likely to underestimate.
Average estimated calorie content against actual values
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