Most of us think that foods labeled "low fat" will help us lose weight.

Not so fast. In fact, they may do the opposite. According to recent research, low-fat labels prompt people to overindulge in not one, not two, but three different ways.

1. Food fake-out. People ate 28 percent more M&M’s when they were labeled "low fat," not "regular," and overweight people consumed nearly 50 percent more calories. Bottom line: It’s all about calories. Find out how many are in your sweet treat with this online tool.
   
   

2. Portion distortion. People believed that an appropriate serving size for low-fat food was 25 percent larger than the full-fat version. Bottom line: Retrain your eyes. Get the skinny on sensible portion sizes.
   
   
3. Guilt, schmilt. When people saw low-fat labels on granola, the guilt factor went away. Bottom line: Guilt isn’t a bad thing when it helps control your appetite. Here’s another example of when listening to your guilt is a good thing.

Reading Lessons
Simply knowing the right way to read a food label can help you make smart choices and maintain a healthy weight. For more on how being food-label savvy can help you stay slim, check out this RealAge article.