Are you a religious food label reader? Can you rattle off the calorie and fat counts in grocery store items like Barry counting you down in the Bootcamp videos? Well then, you might be in for a shock. New research suggests that the numbers on such labels might not be as accurate as you think. In fact, they may be off by as much as 8%, with that 8% conveniently being understated rather than over stated.

And the problem isn’t confined to the grocery shelves. It’s also showing up in restaurant nutrition information. Here, the overall problem is even worse, where “restaurant meals may contain a whopping 18% more” than the eateries claim. Yikes, that’s a lot of extra baggage they’re leaving out. How much? Well, consider this example.

Suppose you buy a frozen dinner (a lean one of course) at the supermarket whose nutritional facts state 400 calories. If that figure is off by 8%, you can add on another 32 calories. Over the course of a month, assuming you eat one such frozen meal per day. That adds up to 960 calories or 3.2 pounds per year. Obviously, if you’re eating out regularly and the nutritional information is off by an additional 10%, you’re going to be packing on even more pounds.

Published in the Journal of the American Diabetic Association, a new study is shedding light on this problem. But as Time magazine recently pointed out, the practice is “perfectly okay” … “as far as Food and Drug Administration regulations are concerned.” Indeed, when it comes to calories, federal regulations allow the calorie counts of prepared food to be off by as much as 20%.

What’s worse, even if they are providing accurate nutrition counts, some restaurants are employing deceiving practices, whereby they state the calories and fat in the main entrée only, with the side dishes that are included with the meal being separate counts found elsewhere. The bottom line is you need to really scrutinize nutritional guides to make sure the calories you think you’re getting are the ones you actually are.

The problem should also make you stop and think. You should’t always believe everything you read, but you should exercise common sense. At Barry’s Bootcamp, we strive to always provide you with sound nutritional advice. Follow us, not them.