How can food labels be misleading?

Marketing terms are regulated but to date, unfortunately, not very well enforced, and again, these terms aren't typically a complete nutrition thought. For example, "Naturally fat free" could distract us from the fact the product is loaded with sugar. Deceptive claims abound: low-fat, high-fiber, light, no sugar added. Some brands have become more healthful. But many manufacturers are promoting a product's healthful ingredients while playing down its less nutritional qualities. Last year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent warning letters to 17 food manufacturers, many of which were household names, insisting they change the wording on their labels. Even Michelle Obama and the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity have recommended that labeling on food packages be more clearly defined, yet they believe it should come from the companies regulating themselves.

Companies respond to consumer demand, so in order for them to self-regulate we need to demand that change by buying differently. In 2010, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nonprofit health-advocacy organization, published an alarming report called "Food Labeling Chaos" about just that -- the confusion over what labels claim. The changes currently being lobbied about in Washington, D.C., could take years to go into effect.