Lady Gaga performs during the MTV Video Music Awards in September in New York. (Jason DeCrow/Associated Press)Songs by Lady Gaga and other chart-toppers that glamourize unhealthy behaviours like disrespect and manipulation are the music equivalent of junk food, according to a teen panel examining unhealthy relationships.

A group of U.S. teens working with the Boston Public Health Commission has developed a new analytical tool — inspired by food nutrition labels — to help determine the "health" of popular tunes.

The project is the outcome of a seven-week course the teens, ages 15 to 19, attended as part of the commission's overall aim of promoting healthy relationships and combating youth and dating violence.

"It's important to have youth involved in this effort because teenagers are the main audience of [popular] music," 15-year-old Shaquilla Terry, one of the panelists, said in a statement.

"It's important to actually listen to and think about the lyrics of a song and not just the beat."

The evaluation tool calls on participants to tally the presence and intensity of "unhealthy" and "healthy" elements (for instance, depictions of drama and obsession versus respect, trust and equality).

Following the method, the teen panel compiled a Top 10 list for each of the two categories using tracks from the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Two blockbuster tunes by popular dance-pop diva Lady Gaga — Paparazzi and Bad Romance — landed on the "unhealthy" list, as did songs by Mario, Jamie Foxx, 50 Cent and Canadian artist Drake.

On the flip side, tunes by Black Eyed Peas, Ne-yo, Keith Urban, Jason Mraz and Canadian teen Justin Bieber made the "healthy" list.

Commission officials, who released an informal teen poll about the Chris Brown-Rihanna assault earlier this year to spark the discussion, say they aren't trying to dictate listening habits. Rather, the goal is to encourage young people to consider music and popular culture in a more critical and informed manner.

"We aren't telling people what they should or should not be listening to," said commission executive director Barbara Ferrer.

"We are giving them a tool that will help them make an informed choice about what they put into their bodies."

Plans are also underway to release a related lesson plan for educators.

The teen panel listed the song Best I Ever by Canadian singer Drake, left, as 'unhealthy.' But One Time by fellow Canuck Justin Bieber was deemed 'healthy.' (Getty Images)