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The fast-food nudge: Choosing salad over fries
39th BFDG 2015 / Appetite 101 (2016) 214e238
high energy-dense foods). In many industrialised countries there has been a dramatic increase in ‘dietary variability’ (specific types of food are now available in a wide range of flavours, brands, etc.). Often these varieties will differ considerably in their energy density. Studies in rodents have suggested that consuming a particular food in a variety of energy densities inhibits the acquisition of flavour-nutrient associations. In humans, meals are often planned in advance and then consumed in their entirety. An excellent predictor of meal size is the extent to which a food is expected to confer fullness. These ‘expected satiety’ judgments are influenced by prior experience with a food. For example, exposure to a wide variety of different pepperoni pizzas is associated with a lower expected satiation for that food. Here, to build on this finding, we selected 10 foods that had high dietary variability. For each food and for each participant, we quantified exposure to the different varieties and we assessed expected satiety and ‘expected satiety confidence.’ We predicted that dietary variability generates uncertainty about the postingestive effects of a food and reduces expected satiety. This research represents an attempt to translate observations across species. Moreover, it has the potential to expose an important yet underexplored feature of our environment that might contribute to overeating and obesity. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2016.02.107
OFFERING WITHIN-CATEGORY FOOD SWAPS TO REDUCE ENERGY DENSITY OF FOOD PURCHASES: A STUDY USING AN EXPERIMENTAL ONLINE SUPERMARKET S.E. Forwood, A.L. Ahern, T.M. Marteau, S.A. Jebb. Behaviour and Health Research Unit, IPH, Robinson Way, Cambridge, CB2 0SR, UK Swaps are used to encourage healthier food choices, but there is little evidence of their effectiveness. This study assessed the impact of offering lower energy density (ED) swaps, implemented in four different ways, within a bespoke online supermarket on the ED of purchases. Participants were asked to choose foods based on a 12 item list within an online shopping platform. 720 adults were randomly assigned to a no swap control condition or to one of four interventions: consented swaps at selection; consented swaps at checkout; imposed swaps at selection; or imposed swaps at checkout. Each swap presented two lower ED options from the same category as the participant’s chosen food. Swap acceptance rate and purchased food ED were the primary outcomes. Of the mean 12.36 (SD 1.26) foods purchased, intervention participants were offered a mean of 4.1 (SD 1.68) swaps and a median of one swap (IQR 0 to 2) was accepted. The ED of food purchased reduced with number of swaps accepted (effect per swap (95% CI) ¼ 24 kJ/100 g (35 e 14), p < 0.0001). However there was no significant difference in overall ED (effect (95% CI): 24 kJ/100 g (4 e 52), p ¼ 0.094) and no difference between conditions. Within category swaps offer limited scope for reductions in ED because of the small difference in ED of the swaps offered and low proportion of swaps accepted. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2016.02.108
THE FAST-FOOD NUDGE: CHOOSING SALAD OVER FRIES J.C.A.H. Giesen, K. Geyskens, C. Goukens, R.C. Havermans, A. Jansen. Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands Fast food restaurants provide easy access to palatable high-calorie food. In such a setting it is hard to resist these temptations. In two experimental studies we tested the effectiveness of a healthy side salad default, compared to an unhealthy and conventional fries default. Both studies made use of a virtual reality fast food restaurant. In study 1, participants ordered a burger menu. Depending on the condition it was stated that the burger would either come with fries or salad as side dish. It was however visible on the menu that the side dish could be changed. Because people’s choices often depend on what others do, we also manipulated the social norm (i.e. what side dish other customers were eating). It was expected
231
that more salads were ordered when salads were the default, especially when other costumers were also eating salad. Results showed no effect of social norm. However, the default manipulation had a strong effect in the expected direction. To exclude that this effect was due to people not really expecting to get the food they ordered, a second study was conducted. Study 2 resembled study 1 without the norm manipulation. In this study, participants actually received the food they ordered. Results were similar to study 1, demonstrating that a healthy default can help promoting healthier food choices. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2016.02.109
SENSORY DRIVERS OF FOOD-EVOKED EMOTIONS S. Gutjar, C. de Graaf, R. de Wijk, G. Jager. Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 8129, 6700 EV Wageningen, The Netherlands Sensory attributes are important drivers of food-evoked emotions. The present study established the relationship between sensory attributes and emotional responses to food products (breakfast drinks and desserts). We combined data collected for seven products by two different panels. First, a large consumer panel (n ¼ 103) reported on the emotions perceived after tasting the seven products using the EsSense Profile™. Second, all seven products were evaluated by a trained panel (n ¼ 10) on 30 sensory characteristics using Descriptive Analysis. The results show that texturerelated attributes such as creamy, fatty, thick and mouth filling were strongly related to positive emotions, e.g. happy, joyful and satisfied. Second, sensory attributes such as yoghurt-like and coarse particles were strongly associated with active emotions, i.e. energetic and adventurous. Third, a fresh and sour taste was associated with the emotion active, a sweet taste with calm and astringent with aggressive. In conclusion, texture-related attributes were drivers of positive emotions and some flavour-related attributes were drivers of specific arousal emotions. Thus, specific sensory drivers of emotional responses to food products were identified. These findings may be beneficial in product development to be able to tailor a food product to consumers' emotional requirements. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2016.02.110
BEHAVIORAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES TO SENSORY-SPECIFIC SATIETY W. He, S. Boesveldt, C. de Graaf, R.A. de Wijk. Food & Biobased Research, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 17, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands As a food is consumed, its perceived pleasantness declines compared to that of other foods. Although this phenomenon, referred to as sensoryspecific satiety, is well-established by means of measuring food intake and pleasantness ratings, this study was aimed at gaining more insight into the automated, implicit responses that underlie such cognitive output behavior. In this study, 24 healthy female participants visited four times in a hungry state, in which they received 4 different semi-liquid meals (2 sweet and 2 savory) delivered via a time-controlled pump leading to sensory-specific satiety. Before and after the meals they were presented with a sip of all the four different test meals. As expected, liking ratings showed a significant decrease after eating a congruent meal or a meal similar in taste (sweet or savory), but not for meals of distinct taste. Preliminary results indicate that facial expressions changed over time and each expression reached maximum in a different pace. Sad and angry expressions decreased from the beginning, whereas happy and neutral expressions reached maximum at 5s and 9s respectively. Both skin temperature and skin conductance level increased after satiety. Skin temperature tended to increase less after meals with similar taste than after those with different taste. Further results of autonomic nervous system responses will be presented during the conference. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2016.02.111
high energy-dense foods). In many industrialised countries there has been a dramatic increase in ‘dietary variability’ (specific types of food are now available in a wide range of flavours, brands, etc.). Often these varieties will differ considerably in their energy density. Studies in rodents have suggested that consuming a particular food in a variety of energy densities inhibits the acquisition of flavour-nutrient associations. In humans, meals are often planned in advance and then consumed in their entirety. An excellent predictor of meal size is the extent to which a food is expected to confer fullness. These ‘expected satiety’ judgments are influenced by prior experience with a food. For example, exposure to a wide variety of different pepperoni pizzas is associated with a lower expected satiation for that food. Here, to build on this finding, we selected 10 foods that had high dietary variability. For each food and for each participant, we quantified exposure to the different varieties and we assessed expected satiety and ‘expected satiety confidence.’ We predicted that dietary variability generates uncertainty about the postingestive effects of a food and reduces expected satiety. This research represents an attempt to translate observations across species. Moreover, it has the potential to expose an important yet underexplored feature of our environment that might contribute to overeating and obesity. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2016.02.107
OFFERING WITHIN-CATEGORY FOOD SWAPS TO REDUCE ENERGY DENSITY OF FOOD PURCHASES: A STUDY USING AN EXPERIMENTAL ONLINE SUPERMARKET S.E. Forwood, A.L. Ahern, T.M. Marteau, S.A. Jebb. Behaviour and Health Research Unit, IPH, Robinson Way, Cambridge, CB2 0SR, UK Swaps are used to encourage healthier food choices, but there is little evidence of their effectiveness. This study assessed the impact of offering lower energy density (ED) swaps, implemented in four different ways, within a bespoke online supermarket on the ED of purchases. Participants were asked to choose foods based on a 12 item list within an online shopping platform. 720 adults were randomly assigned to a no swap control condition or to one of four interventions: consented swaps at selection; consented swaps at checkout; imposed swaps at selection; or imposed swaps at checkout. Each swap presented two lower ED options from the same category as the participant’s chosen food. Swap acceptance rate and purchased food ED were the primary outcomes. Of the mean 12.36 (SD 1.26) foods purchased, intervention participants were offered a mean of 4.1 (SD 1.68) swaps and a median of one swap (IQR 0 to 2) was accepted. The ED of food purchased reduced with number of swaps accepted (effect per swap (95% CI) ¼ 24 kJ/100 g (35 e 14), p < 0.0001). However there was no significant difference in overall ED (effect (95% CI): 24 kJ/100 g (4 e 52), p ¼ 0.094) and no difference between conditions. Within category swaps offer limited scope for reductions in ED because of the small difference in ED of the swaps offered and low proportion of swaps accepted. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2016.02.108
THE FAST-FOOD NUDGE: CHOOSING SALAD OVER FRIES J.C.A.H. Giesen, K. Geyskens, C. Goukens, R.C. Havermans, A. Jansen. Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands Fast food restaurants provide easy access to palatable high-calorie food. In such a setting it is hard to resist these temptations. In two experimental studies we tested the effectiveness of a healthy side salad default, compared to an unhealthy and conventional fries default. Both studies made use of a virtual reality fast food restaurant. In study 1, participants ordered a burger menu. Depending on the condition it was stated that the burger would either come with fries or salad as side dish. It was however visible on the menu that the side dish could be changed. Because people’s choices often depend on what others do, we also manipulated the social norm (i.e. what side dish other customers were eating). It was expected
231
that more salads were ordered when salads were the default, especially when other costumers were also eating salad. Results showed no effect of social norm. However, the default manipulation had a strong effect in the expected direction. To exclude that this effect was due to people not really expecting to get the food they ordered, a second study was conducted. Study 2 resembled study 1 without the norm manipulation. In this study, participants actually received the food they ordered. Results were similar to study 1, demonstrating that a healthy default can help promoting healthier food choices. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2016.02.109
SENSORY DRIVERS OF FOOD-EVOKED EMOTIONS S. Gutjar, C. de Graaf, R. de Wijk, G. Jager. Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 8129, 6700 EV Wageningen, The Netherlands Sensory attributes are important drivers of food-evoked emotions. The present study established the relationship between sensory attributes and emotional responses to food products (breakfast drinks and desserts). We combined data collected for seven products by two different panels. First, a large consumer panel (n ¼ 103) reported on the emotions perceived after tasting the seven products using the EsSense Profile™. Second, all seven products were evaluated by a trained panel (n ¼ 10) on 30 sensory characteristics using Descriptive Analysis. The results show that texturerelated attributes such as creamy, fatty, thick and mouth filling were strongly related to positive emotions, e.g. happy, joyful and satisfied. Second, sensory attributes such as yoghurt-like and coarse particles were strongly associated with active emotions, i.e. energetic and adventurous. Third, a fresh and sour taste was associated with the emotion active, a sweet taste with calm and astringent with aggressive. In conclusion, texture-related attributes were drivers of positive emotions and some flavour-related attributes were drivers of specific arousal emotions. Thus, specific sensory drivers of emotional responses to food products were identified. These findings may be beneficial in product development to be able to tailor a food product to consumers' emotional requirements. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2016.02.110
BEHAVIORAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES TO SENSORY-SPECIFIC SATIETY W. He, S. Boesveldt, C. de Graaf, R.A. de Wijk. Food & Biobased Research, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 17, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands As a food is consumed, its perceived pleasantness declines compared to that of other foods. Although this phenomenon, referred to as sensoryspecific satiety, is well-established by means of measuring food intake and pleasantness ratings, this study was aimed at gaining more insight into the automated, implicit responses that underlie such cognitive output behavior. In this study, 24 healthy female participants visited four times in a hungry state, in which they received 4 different semi-liquid meals (2 sweet and 2 savory) delivered via a time-controlled pump leading to sensory-specific satiety. Before and after the meals they were presented with a sip of all the four different test meals. As expected, liking ratings showed a significant decrease after eating a congruent meal or a meal similar in taste (sweet or savory), but not for meals of distinct taste. Preliminary results indicate that facial expressions changed over time and each expression reached maximum in a different pace. Sad and angry expressions decreased from the beginning, whereas happy and neutral expressions reached maximum at 5s and 9s respectively. Both skin temperature and skin conductance level increased after satiety. Skin temperature tended to increase less after meals with similar taste than after those with different taste. Further results of autonomic nervous system responses will be presented during the conference. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2016.02.111