If you tell a child not to do something, what will happen? They will do it. Research published in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research suggests that messages telling dieters that all sugary snacks are bad just make those snacks all the more compelling.
Obesity
now affects 34.9% of American adults, or 78.6 million people. The
authorities are concerned about steering the nation toward healthier
choices.
The US government and various agencies use public service announcements
(PSAs) to advise consumers about the dangers of unhealthy eating. They
deliver a strong message that sugary snacks are to be avoided.
Researchers at Arizona State University in Tempe carried out three
studies to show that negative, one-sided messages about unhealthy food
can actually encourage people to choose it, rather than putting them
off.
In the first study, 380 participants read a positive, negative or neutral message about a dessert.
Dieters who saw the negative message had more positive thoughts about
unhealthy foods, although the message did not change their thoughts
about healthy foods. Non-dieters were unaffected.
Co-author Pham explains that instead of leading dieters to choose
healthier options, negative messages increase the attraction of
unhealthy foods.
More unhealthy choices follow negative messages
In the second study, 397 participants saw a one-sided positive or
negative message about sugary snacks, followed by a short video and a
supply of chocolate-chip cookies.
After seeing the negative message, dieters consumed 39% more cookies
than dieters who saw the positive message. Again, non-dieters remained
unaffected.
In the third study, 324 participants were given positive, negative or
two-sided messages, containing both positive and negative information
about food. They were then asked to choose a snack. The researchers
wanted to see if the balanced message might be more effective in
discouraging poor choices.
The negative message was associated with a 30% higher unhealthy
snack choice than the positive message; 47% fewer unhealthy snacks were
chosen by dieters who saw the balanced message than those who saw the
negative message.
The findings suggest that using messages that convey only negative information about food may not have the desired effect.
The research is published in an edition of the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research called, "The Behavioral Science of Eating." The collected papers are dedicated to encouraging healthy eating.
An accompanying infographic
that summarizes the findings advises people to read food labels
carefully, prepare smaller amounts of food to avoid waste and to use
smaller plates. It also suggests installing a mirror in the kitchen; it
apparently encourages healthier food choices.
Medical News Today recently reported that in exchange for an alternative reward, many people are happy to choose smaller portions of food.
No comments:
Post a Comment