The effect of presenting relative calorie information on calories ordered

• Published in: Appetite Vol. 153; p. 104727
• Main Authors: Gustafson, Christopher R., Zeballos, Eliana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-10-2020
• Subjects: Behavioral economics; Calorie estimation; Calorie labeling; Cognition; Food choice; Food-away-from-home; Calorie labeling; Cognition; Food choice; Food-away-from-home; Behavioral economics; Calorie estimation
• ISSN: 0195-6663; 1095-8304
• DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2020.104727

In this research, we tested the effect of a novel method of presenting calorie information—highlighting relative differences in calories among ingredients. We conducted an online hypothetical food choice experiment where 633 participants selected the ingredients for a sandwich from five categories: meat/protein, cheese, spread/dressing, bread, and vegetables. Each participant was randomly assigned to one of four calorie information conditions: 1) a condition in which no information about calories was provided, 2) a condition in which calorie information was provided for each ingredient, 3) a condition in which calorie information was presented relative to the highest calorie item, and 4) a condition in which calorie information was presented relative to the lowest calorie item. Participants in the high- and low-calorie reference conditions ordered between 32 and 36 fewer calories per sandwich than participants in the no-calorie information control condition (p ≤ 0.04). Calories ordered by participants in the per-item calorie condition were not significantly different than the control. Presenting relative calorie or other nutritional information to make health-related trade-offs more salient may guide consumers to make healthier choices.