Everyone is used to seeing calorie information on the food they buy, but researchers have said it would be more informative if labelling said how much exercise would be needed to burn off those calories. For example, a can of fizzy drink with 150 calories would be burned off with 30 minutes walking or 15 minutes running.
Behavioural scientists said that if a cake label said it would take 90 minutes walking to burn off, that would be more understood than a traffic light system. The study was undertaken by Loughborough University and surveyed more than 2,600 adults, the Telegraph reported.
The labels are known as Physical Activity Calorie Equivalent (Pace). Amanda Daley, professor of behavioural medicine at Loughborough University, was reported in the Telegraph as saying: “Nutritional labels support people to make food choices and traffic light labelling is the UK standard.
