High-calorie package images mislead eaters

While a picture may be worth a thousand words, pictures displayed on food packages, like cake mix, may be worth hundreds of extra calories, according to research from the Cornell Food and Brand Lab. Think of the typical box of cake mix sold at the grocery store: the slice displayed on the packaging depicts a typical serving size for the cake alone, with the requisite nutritional information printed on the back. But food manufacturers, to woo a shopper wheeling down the aisle, market their product covered in frosting and other confectionary flair to best present the cake in all its indulgently frosted glory. That little marketing gimmick can be a calorie trap for consumers. Researchers at the lab found cake advertisements drenched in frosting depict more than twice the number of calories compared to what's listed on the nutritional label. And what's more, those images can stimulate even the most nutritionally conscious people to overeat. "If we see a slice of cake smothered in frosting on the cake box, we think that is what is normal to serve and eat.