Understanding the Interaction between Regulatory Focus and Message Framing in Determining Chinese Consumers' Attitudes toward Artificial Meat.

While production and consumption of meat cast a shadow over the prospects for sustainable development, artificial meat may be the solution. However, consumer acceptability of artificial meat is a major impediment to its use as a suitable alternative. This study analyzed the relationship between regulatory focus and consumer acceptance of artificial meat using randomized controlled trial data. Results showed that promotion focus results in a higher acceptance of artificial meat products due to a higher perceived benefit and lower perceived risk, whereas prevention focus results in a lower acceptance of artificial meat products due to perceived benefit being lower and perceived risk being higher. The moderating effect of the message framing was investigated employing structural equation modeling (SEM). It was discovered that a gain-oriented message framing could greatly strengthen the association between promotion focus and perceived benefit, whereas an avoidance-oriented message framing could significantly diminish the relationship between prevention focus and perceived risk. This study has crucial implications for how policymakers and industries communicate with consumers about artificial meat.

Eating out and getting fat? A comparative study between urban and rural China.

In parallel with the increased prevalence of overweight and obesity, the rate of food away from home (FAFH) consumption in China has increased notably in recent years. Under the long-term urban-rural dual structure in China, the purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of FAFH consumption on body mass index (BMI) by a comparative study between rural and urban areas, using 26,244 subjects from the 2004-2011 China Health and Nutrition Survey. The results indicated that urban residents have a higher rate of FAFH consumption than rural residents with the difference narrowing over time. The empirical results illustrated that the frequency of meals consumed away from home had a significantly positive effect on BMI in urban China, whereas no significant association was observed in rural China. The urban-rural difference resulted from different levels of surplus energy, which was mainly due to the different labor intensity among rural and urban residents.