CONVERSATION STARTERS

Those who read food labels while they grocery shop are thinner than those who just pluck the cans and packages from the shelves and toss them in the cart. An international team of researchers has concluded that those who are most likely to read nutritional labels are white urban women, and the payoff is big: They typically weigh about nine pounds less than those who don't read the labels. The results of the study:

• Women who read food labels have a body mass index (BMI) that is 1.48 points lower than those who don't do it, which translates to about nine pounds.
• Men who read food labels have a BMI that is 0.12 points lower than those who don't read them.
• 74 percent of women read food labels, compared with 58 percent of men.
• White women who live in cities read food labels the most often.
• More educated people pay more attention to food labels.
• Smokers pay little attention to the nutritional information on food.