Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (AHN) – A survey released Monday found that 47 percent of Canadians don’t believe in health claims on food products. The skepticism is felt mostly among Canadians in the age bracket 55 and above.

Among popular food additives, 72 percent of the survey respondents asked by Ipsos Reid said they believe that probiotics or live microorganisms added to food products improve their health. Another 79 percent identified Omega-3 fatty acids as an additive that is good for their health.

Because of the mistrust of health claims on food labels, only 44 percent of Canadians are willing to pay more for such products. The 44 percent placed a 12.8 percent cap on how much price increase they are willing to shoulder to attain better health.

Health food claims are being monitored by government agencies as Canada continues to grapple with obesity. According to Statistics Canada, 61 percent of Canadians are overweight.

To compound the problem for Canadians seeking better health through eating, various fads flood the market such as carbohydrate reduction, reducing fat, shifting to vegetables or subsisting on liquid that all claim to work.

Obesity researchers are now saying that weight reduction can be achieved using any diet so long as calorie intake is reduced. Their conclusion is based on a 2005 study that followed 160 overweight volunteers who used the Atkins, Ornish, Weight Watchers or Zone diets. After 12 months, most of the volunteers lost an average of six pounds, but there was no statistical difference among the diets.

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