ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Low-calorie menu items as optimal defaults may encourage healthier choices when people eat out. Limited research has studied default effects from the restauranteurs' perspective, as well as the public health perspective. OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of optimal defaults on calories ordered, dietary autonomy, and visit intention in the context of a fast-food drive-through. DESIGN: Between-subjects randomized scenario-based experiment. PARTICIPANTS/SETTING: In all, 377 adults who lived in the United States were recruited through a crowdsourcing platform in July 2020. INTERVENTION: Participants were asked to visualize ordering a combo meal in a fast-food drive-through. They were randomly assigned to order from 1 of 3 menu boards: (1) menu items available for combos by customer choice, (2) combos that included traditional high-calorie default items, or (3) combos that included low-calorie optimal defaults. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Differences in calories ordered among groups, dietary autonomy, and restaurant visit intention. ANALYSIS: Statistical tests included multiple regression, Kruskal-Wallis, χ2, and 1-way analysis of variance. Covariates such as education and sex were tested in regression models as potential confounders. RESULTS: Compared with the choice combo meals, optimal combo meals reduced calories ordered by consumers (-337 kcal, standard error = 19, P < .001), while traditional combos increased them (+132 kcal, standard error = 20, P < .001). No significant difference was found in visit intention. Dietary autonomy was affected by the optimal defaults (P = .025), even in participants with high health concern. Conversely, the traditional combo's effect on dietary autonomy was moderated by health concern (B = -0.26, P = .023), with only individuals with very high levels of health concern perceiving less autonomy. CONCLUSIONS: Optimal defaults provided a robust reduction in calories ordered but had implications for dietary autonomy.
Subject(s)
Food Labeling , Food Preferences , Adult , Humans , Energy Intake , Fast Foods , Restaurants , United StatesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The use of low-calorie menu items as optimal defaults and visual cues may nudge consumers to healthier choices at restaurants. However, little is known regarding their effects on emotions and behavioral intentions, particularly among people with different levels of health concern. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate optimal defaults and visual cues' effect on anticipated pleasure and order intention depending upon consumers' health concern level. DESIGN: Between-subjects randomized scenario-based experiment. PARTICIPANTS/SETTING: In all, 636 US adults recruited through an online crowdsourcing platform in July 2020. INTERVENTION: Participants saw 1 of 6 menu boards in a fast-food drive-through simulation. Half the menu boards included meal photos with (1) menu items to be arranged as a combo by choice (ie, create-your-own combo); (2) traditional combos that included high-calorie default items; or (3) optimal combos that included low-calorie default items. The remaining 3 boards were identical without photos. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Anticipated pleasure, order intention, and health concern were evaluated with 7-point Likert scales. ANALYSIS: Statistical tests included multiple regression, Kruskal-Wallis, χ2, and analysis of variance. Education and sex were tested as potential confounders. RESULTS: Optimal combos negatively affected anticipated pleasure (P = .003) and order intention (P < .001) compared with choice combos. Order intention reduction was the same for traditional and optimal combos (P = .128). The presence of photos changed order intention for optimal combos but varied by consumer's health concern level. When health concern was lower, photos decreased the likelihood of ordering the optimal combos (B = -3.06, P = .001), but when health concern was higher, photos enhanced ordering intention compared with the choice group (B = 0.60, P = .001). The photos did not affect anticipated pleasure for any level of health concern. CONCLUSIONS: The adverse effect of optimal defaults and how visual cues may reduce their negative effect should be considered in menu design.
Subject(s)
Cues , Food Labeling , Adult , Humans , Energy Intake , Fast Foods , Meals , RestaurantsABSTRACT
La razón por la que los niños tienen determinadas características en el consumo de alimentos es un tema que preocupa tanto a padres, como a profesionales e investigadores cercanos a esta área de estudio. Aquí se buscó comprender los factores que hoy día son reconocidos como influyentes en el consumo de alimentos por parte de la población infantil. Para ello se revisó literatura científica publicada desde enero de 2002 hasta abril de 2013; la revisión se adelantó en las bases de datos: Scopus, Science Direct, Ebscohost y Redalyc. Se obtuvieron 57 documentos acordes a los criterios de inclusión definidos. Dicho ejercicio llevó a clasificar la información encontrada en condiciones individuales, características del entorno y estrategias frecuentes que pueden influir en el consumo. La revisión realizada permite concluir que hoy en día, más que hablar solo de consumo, la mirada se traslada al comportamiento alimentario. Esto incluye las características de los alimentos consumidos, lugares, experiencias, compañías, entre otros aspectos, que forman parte de un patrón de conducta alrededor de los alimentos. De esta manera, se evidencian campos de intervención e investigación en aspectos tales como conducta alimentaria por género, rasgos genéticos y estado nutricional; también se exploran creencias y experiencias alrededor de los alimentos, grupos sociales influyentes, características organolépticas de las preparaciones y estrategias de promoción que involucran mucho más que trasmitir conocimiento acerca de lo saludable, entre otros.
Why children have certain characteristics in food consumption is a matter of concern to both parents, as professionals and researchers in their exercise near this age group. This paper aim is to understand factors and mechanisms influencing in the decision of food intake by children. Scientific literature published was revised, from January 2002 to April 2013, in the databases: Scopus, Science Direct, Ebscohost and Redalyc. 57 papers were obtained with the inclusion criteria used. This exercise led to classify the information found in individual conditions, characteristics of the setting and common strategies that may influence food consumption. Today, more than just talk about consumption, the works attends the feeding behavior, which includes the characteristics of the food consumed, places, experiences, companies, among others, as part of a pattern of behavior around food. This led to identify areas of intervention and research such as eating behavior by gender, genetic characteristics and nutritional status. And, the beliefs and experiences around food, influential social groups, organoleptic characteristics of recipes and promotion strategies, involve much more than transmit knowledge about how to be healthy, among others.
ABSTRACT
La Organización Internacional del Trabajo tiene como función la elaboración de políticas y programas que llevan a mejorar las condiciones laborales de los trabajadores; una de estas es la promoción de espacios saludables desde la alimentación para contribuir a mejorar el bienestar colectivo. Este organismo ha recomendado, desde el año 1953, diferentes lineamientos al respecto, que luego se han articulado a algunas iniciativas de la Organización Mundial de la Salud. Por otra parte, la transición epidemiológica ha cambiado el patrón alimentario de la población mundial, llevando al incremento, de forma acelerada, de enfermedades crónicas degenerativas, en especial de la obesidad; a su vez ha incrementado los costos de atención en salud, pero sobre todo ha disminuido la capacidad productiva de los trabajadores. Por eso, las buenas prácticas empresariales deben fortalecer la política de responsabilidad social, motivando acciones que propendan por el bienestar integral de los trabajadores, siendo la alimentación una de las dinámicas centrales para su formulación por su papel en la seguridad alimentaria y nutricional de la población.
The International Labour Organisation's function is to develop policy and programmes leading to improving workers' labour conditions; one of these is to promote spaces regarding health concerning eating habits contributing to improving collective wellbeing. This organism has recommended different guidelines (since 1953) which have then become linked to some World Health Organisation initiatives. On the other hand, epidemiological transition has changed the world population's eating pattern, leading to an accelerated increase in chronic degenerative diseases, especially obesity; this, in turn, has led to increased healthcare attention costs, but has mainly reduced workers' production capacity. Good business practice must thus strengthen social responsibility policy, motivating action fostering workers' integral wellbeing, eating patterns being one of the central dynamics preparing them for their role in the population's food security and nutritional status.
