Walk into any supermarket, and you'll find rows of packaged foods boasting how healthy they are. From "fat-free" to "natural" to "helps your immune system," front-of-the-box labels may give the appearance of good nutrition, but the reality is a bit more complicated.
Unlike the Nutrition Facts panel, which is tightly regulated, front-of-the-package food labels aren't as closely monitored. In addition, food companies tend to "stretch the envelope" of what's permitted, says Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University. The result, she says: Many of the health claims you see are misleading.