The Effect of Food Labeling, Weight Consciousness, and Gender on Eating Behavior

Abstract

As stated previously, understanding more about what influences people’s healthy (or unhealthy) choices is key to learning how to influence decision making in a positive way. What, and how much, people eat can play an important role in weight control and health management. While there is some research on the role that gender plays in the perception of the healthiness of food, research that examines both gender and the effect that food labeling has on eating behavior is limited. Often, studies that examine the effect of food labeling tend to only recruit female participants, which reduces the generalizability of the results. The purpose of this study will be to examine the effects of food labeling, weight consciousness, and gender on food consumption and the perceptions of the taste and healthfulness of a food product. Our hypotheses are as follows: (1) There will be an interaction between weight consciousness and product type, such that those who are high in weight consciousness will eat more of a “healthy” granola bar than of a “gourmet” granola bar; (2) Individuals who are high in weight consciousness and receive a “healthy” granola bar will eat less than those who are low in weight consciousness and receive a “healthy” granola bar; (3) Those who receive a “healthy” granola bar will eat more; (4) men will eat more than women; and (5) There will be an interaction effect between gender and granola bar labeling type, such that women will eat less in the “gourmet” granola bar condition than men. Based on the literature review, no other specific outcomes are proposed for the three other possible predictions.