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Watch What You Eat: TV Content Influences Consumption Volume
S112 Poster Abstracts
Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior Volume 46, Number 4S, 2014
P13 (continued) (21.2 ounces) than did participants who did not simulate (30.28 ounces): F(1, 57) ¼ 6.65, p ¼ .01. Conclusions and Implications: Together, the studies demonstrate that simulation of eating reduces weight and energy estimates. Fantasizing about eating, then, appears to render it less caloric and so legitimize eating indulgent foods. Funding: Cornell University
P14 Size Cues Affect Calorie and Size Estimates Aner Tal, PhD, [email protected], Cornell University, 38 Meadowlard Drive Lower, Ithaca, NY 14850; B. Wansink, PhD; C. Giblin, BS, Carnegie Mellon University; M. Giblin, BS, University of Florida; J. Ladzinski, BS, Cornell University Objective: The current studies demonstrate that irrelevant size cues can affect calorie and size evaluations. Specifically, we show that product pictures (study 1), and product pictures on packaging (study 2) lead people to make calorie (study 1) and size (study 2) estimates. Study Design, Setting, Participants, and Intervention: Participants were recruited from the participant pool of a behavioral lab in a large Northeastern University. They estimated calories in cans displayed in different sized pictures (study 1) and the weight in popcorn bags containing different sized logos (study 2). Outcome, Measures and Analysis: We analyzed number of calories estimated (study 1) and estimated ounces in popcorn bags (study 2). We analyzed differences via F-tests based on general linear model ANOVA (study 1) and t-tests (study 2). Results: Participants in study 1 (N ¼ 73) estimated greater number of calories in soda cans when viewing larger pictures (431.3 vs. 343.6 vs. 237.7 calories for largest to smallest picture sizes), p < .05. This is despite knowing the actual quantity in each can. In study 2, participants (N ¼ 38) estimated lower quantity in popcorn bags when pictures of the bags displayed 30% smaller logo and product pictures (10.03 vs. 17.95 ounces), p ¼ .02. Conclusions and Implications: Together, the studies demonstrate that smaller graphic elements on packaging can lead people to estimate smaller product quantities and lower calories than reality. This may have important implications for subsequent consumption, as it may also lead people to reduced estimates of their own consumption. Funding: Cornell University
P15 Watch What You Eat: TV Content Influences Consumption Volume Aner Tal, PhD, [email protected], Cornell University, 38 Meadowlard Drive Lower, Ithaca, NY 14850; B. Wansink, PhD Objective: The current study aims to explore whether degree of involvement in TV shows affects food consumption. We demonstrate that not just the fact of watching TV, but also the level of involvement of the TV program be-
ing watched, determine the amount consumed. The more distracted a person is, the more mindless eating they would display, resulting in greater food consumption for more involving TV shows. Study Design, Setting, Participants, and Intervention: Undergraduate participants (N ¼ 95) completed the study for credit. Participants ate cookies, M&Ms, grapes and carrots while watching TV. A third of the participants watched the action movie ‘‘The Island’’ (high involvement), a third watched the same movie without sound (middle involvement), and a third watched an episode of ‘‘The Charlie Rose Show’’ (low involvement). Outcome, Measures and Analysis: We measured amount served of each of the four snacks, and analyzed differences using a general linear model ANOVA. Results: Participants viewing ‘‘Charlie Rose’’ ate the lowest amount, 104.29 grams on average, those viewing ‘‘The Island’’ ate almost twice as much at 206.53, with those watching ‘‘The Island’’ on silent eating a medium amount (142.09 grams). The effects were significant at a <.0001 level: F(2, 92) ¼ 12.07. Conclusions and Implications: The greater distraction allowed by a more involving show appears to lead to increased food consumption due to mindless eating. Funding: Cornell University
P16 Fat Contagion: Proximity of Foods Affects Calorie Evaluations Aner Tal, PhD, [email protected], Cornell University, 38 Meadowlard Drive Lower, Ithaca, NY 14850 Objective: Determine whether proximity of different foods to each other, specifically lower and higher calorie foods, affects calorie evaluations. It may be that when one food touches another a contagion occurs such that calories in one food alter the calorie perceptions of the other. Study Design, Setting, Participants, and Intervention: Participants (N ¼ 105) completed the study online on Mechanical Turk. They viewed pictures of salad and fried chicken on a plate, displayed at a distance from each other on the plate, close by, or touching. They then estimated the number of calories in the food as a whole, including both chicken and salad. Outcome, Measures and Analysis: We analyzed differences in calorie estimates via general a t-test. We eliminated observations over 2SDs from the mean. Results: Participants estimated a higher number of calories when the fried chicken was touching the salad (464.91) than when it was not (383.97). The effect was significant at .05 level, t¼-2. Conclusions and Implications: More fattening food appears to be ‘‘contagious’’ in its caloric value towards healthier food if the two foods are in close proximity. This suggests calorie evaluations may be distorted when foods of different caloric value are presented together. However, since calorie evaluations are enhanced by proximity, this can be used as a deterrent to consumption of fattening food. Funding: Cornell University
Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior Volume 46, Number 4S, 2014
P13 (continued) (21.2 ounces) than did participants who did not simulate (30.28 ounces): F(1, 57) ¼ 6.65, p ¼ .01. Conclusions and Implications: Together, the studies demonstrate that simulation of eating reduces weight and energy estimates. Fantasizing about eating, then, appears to render it less caloric and so legitimize eating indulgent foods. Funding: Cornell University
P14 Size Cues Affect Calorie and Size Estimates Aner Tal, PhD, [email protected], Cornell University, 38 Meadowlard Drive Lower, Ithaca, NY 14850; B. Wansink, PhD; C. Giblin, BS, Carnegie Mellon University; M. Giblin, BS, University of Florida; J. Ladzinski, BS, Cornell University Objective: The current studies demonstrate that irrelevant size cues can affect calorie and size evaluations. Specifically, we show that product pictures (study 1), and product pictures on packaging (study 2) lead people to make calorie (study 1) and size (study 2) estimates. Study Design, Setting, Participants, and Intervention: Participants were recruited from the participant pool of a behavioral lab in a large Northeastern University. They estimated calories in cans displayed in different sized pictures (study 1) and the weight in popcorn bags containing different sized logos (study 2). Outcome, Measures and Analysis: We analyzed number of calories estimated (study 1) and estimated ounces in popcorn bags (study 2). We analyzed differences via F-tests based on general linear model ANOVA (study 1) and t-tests (study 2). Results: Participants in study 1 (N ¼ 73) estimated greater number of calories in soda cans when viewing larger pictures (431.3 vs. 343.6 vs. 237.7 calories for largest to smallest picture sizes), p < .05. This is despite knowing the actual quantity in each can. In study 2, participants (N ¼ 38) estimated lower quantity in popcorn bags when pictures of the bags displayed 30% smaller logo and product pictures (10.03 vs. 17.95 ounces), p ¼ .02. Conclusions and Implications: Together, the studies demonstrate that smaller graphic elements on packaging can lead people to estimate smaller product quantities and lower calories than reality. This may have important implications for subsequent consumption, as it may also lead people to reduced estimates of their own consumption. Funding: Cornell University
P15 Watch What You Eat: TV Content Influences Consumption Volume Aner Tal, PhD, [email protected], Cornell University, 38 Meadowlard Drive Lower, Ithaca, NY 14850; B. Wansink, PhD Objective: The current study aims to explore whether degree of involvement in TV shows affects food consumption. We demonstrate that not just the fact of watching TV, but also the level of involvement of the TV program be-
ing watched, determine the amount consumed. The more distracted a person is, the more mindless eating they would display, resulting in greater food consumption for more involving TV shows. Study Design, Setting, Participants, and Intervention: Undergraduate participants (N ¼ 95) completed the study for credit. Participants ate cookies, M&Ms, grapes and carrots while watching TV. A third of the participants watched the action movie ‘‘The Island’’ (high involvement), a third watched the same movie without sound (middle involvement), and a third watched an episode of ‘‘The Charlie Rose Show’’ (low involvement). Outcome, Measures and Analysis: We measured amount served of each of the four snacks, and analyzed differences using a general linear model ANOVA. Results: Participants viewing ‘‘Charlie Rose’’ ate the lowest amount, 104.29 grams on average, those viewing ‘‘The Island’’ ate almost twice as much at 206.53, with those watching ‘‘The Island’’ on silent eating a medium amount (142.09 grams). The effects were significant at a <.0001 level: F(2, 92) ¼ 12.07. Conclusions and Implications: The greater distraction allowed by a more involving show appears to lead to increased food consumption due to mindless eating. Funding: Cornell University
P16 Fat Contagion: Proximity of Foods Affects Calorie Evaluations Aner Tal, PhD, [email protected], Cornell University, 38 Meadowlard Drive Lower, Ithaca, NY 14850 Objective: Determine whether proximity of different foods to each other, specifically lower and higher calorie foods, affects calorie evaluations. It may be that when one food touches another a contagion occurs such that calories in one food alter the calorie perceptions of the other. Study Design, Setting, Participants, and Intervention: Participants (N ¼ 105) completed the study online on Mechanical Turk. They viewed pictures of salad and fried chicken on a plate, displayed at a distance from each other on the plate, close by, or touching. They then estimated the number of calories in the food as a whole, including both chicken and salad. Outcome, Measures and Analysis: We analyzed differences in calorie estimates via general a t-test. We eliminated observations over 2SDs from the mean. Results: Participants estimated a higher number of calories when the fried chicken was touching the salad (464.91) than when it was not (383.97). The effect was significant at .05 level, t¼-2. Conclusions and Implications: More fattening food appears to be ‘‘contagious’’ in its caloric value towards healthier food if the two foods are in close proximity. This suggests calorie evaluations may be distorted when foods of different caloric value are presented together. However, since calorie evaluations are enhanced by proximity, this can be used as a deterrent to consumption of fattening food. Funding: Cornell University