Grouping healthy foods together makes them seem unappealing - so we avoid them......

They are billed as the healthy alternatives for figure conscious consumers.

But low calorie sections on restaurant menus could be making us fat, a study has warned. 

U.S. scientists discovered that when bamboozled with many options - and needing to rule some out -  many of us many of us discount the low-calorie section altogether without even reading it because it seems 'unappetising'.

They are billed as the healthy alternatives for figure conscious consumers.

But low calorie sections on restaurant menus could be making us fat, a study has warned. 

A third group was given the calorie-labelled menus with the low-calorie dishes grouped together and given a low-calorie section label.

The results showed that diners given the traditional menus without any calorie information - and those given the menus with the low-calorie foods grouped together, ordered food with similar amounts of calories.

Interestingly, the participants who ordered from the calorie-labelled - but not grouped - menus ordered meals with fewer calories overall.

Therefore, when a dish has a calorie count next to it, but isn't arranged in a low calorie part of the menu, it is less likely to be discounted early on by diners, the authors conclude.

‘For the consumer, this means you are more likely to consider ordering a low-calorie dish and also more likely to eat it too.’

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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2605949/Do-low-calorie-sections-menus-make-FAT-Study-suggests-grouping-healthy-foods-makes-unappealing-avoid-them.html