AIMC Health Tip -Why Marketing So Called Perceived Healthy Products Is Bad For You

You see it all the time in your local supermarket - diet soda, low fat milk, lite salad dressing and protein added to my cereal and think you are a health nut buying the right foods. But you are not and there are many reasons why.

Marketing so-called “perceived healthy” products can be bad for you for three main reasons: 1. Misdirection Through “Healthwashing” Brands often focus on one healthy-sounding feature while downplaying—or completely hiding—less healthy aspects. Example: “Low fat” snacks that are loaded with added sugar. The marketing primes you to associate the product with wellness, so you don’t question the rest of the ingredients. 2. Psychological Halo Effect When something is labeled “organic,” “gluten-free,” or “natural,” many people automatically assume it’s healthy in all respects. This “health halo” can make you eat more of it, consume extra calories, or ignore nutritional balance. Ironically, you may end up worse off nutritionally than if you’d just eaten a regular version in moderation. 3. Erosion of Informed Choice Aggressive marketing can make it harder for consumers to tell what’s actually good for them. You’re more likely to buy based on branding, influencer endorsements, or packaging rather than reading labels. This can normalize highly processed, sugar-laden, or chemically engineered foods as “everyday healthy options.” Some examples of marketed food and drink that is not good for you is as follows:

• Diet Soda - Diet soda isn’t a magic bullet for weight loss or health—it’s more like trading one set of problems (high sugar) for another (sweetener-related metabolic and appetite issues). Occasional consumption is unlikely to harm you, but daily use can stack up hidden risks over time.

• Lite Salad Dressing - “Lite” salad dressings may cut fat and calories, but they often replace fat with sugar, salt, and processed additives. Without healthy fats, your body can’t absorb important fat-soluble vitamins from your vegetables, meaning you lose nutrition while eating more artificial ingredients. Plus, the “lite” label can lead to over-pouring, canceling out any calorie savings. In most cases, a small amount of regular dressing made with real healthy oils is far better for you than a big serving of lite dressing.

• Protein Added to Cereal - Protein added to cereal can sound healthy, but it’s often from cheap, processed sources like soy protein isolate or whey powder, which can be hard to digest and stripped of other nutrients. To make it taste good, manufacturers usually add extra sugar, artificial flavors, or sweeteners, turning the cereal into a highly processed product.

Bottom line: The danger isn’t just in the product—it’s in the perception shift. When marketing convinces you that a less-than-healthy option is a health boost, you stop looking critically at what you’re consuming. Over time, that can lead to poor nutrition, weight gain, and even chronic health issues.