Fast-Food Optimal Defaults Reduce Calories Ordered, as Well as Dietary Autonomy: A Scenario-Based Experiment - 19/12/22
, Barbara Almanza, PhD, FAND 2, Karen Byrd, PhD, RDN 2, Carl Behnke, PhD 2, Douglas Nelson, PhD 2Abstract |
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.
Le texte complet de cet article est disponible en PDF.Keywords : Nudges, Default, Dietary autonomy, Health concern, Combo meal, Fast-food restaurant
Plan
| Supplementary materials: Figure 3 and Table 4 and Table 5 are available at www.jandonline.org. |
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| STATEMENT OF POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors. |
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| FUNDING/SUPPORT This work was supported by the Arthur Avery Foodservice Research Laboratory at Purdue University. |
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| AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS M. Diaz-Beltran, B. Almanza, and C. Behnke conceptualized the idea. M. Diaz-Beltran, B. Almanza, C. Behnke, K. Byrd, and D. Nelson developed the protocol and instruments to data collection. M. Diaz-Beltran collected the data, conducted the statistical analysis, wrote the first draft of the manuscript, and was the lead writer of the final version. B. Almanza, C. Behnke, K. Byrd, and D. Nelson provided critical manuscript revisions. B. Almanza supervised all the aspects of the project. All authors approved the final manuscript prior to submission. |
Vol 123 - N° 1
P. 65 - janvier 2023 Retour au numéro
Article précédent
- Visual Cues and Optimal Defaults in Fast-Food Combo Meals Benefit Health-Concerned Consumers—A Randomized Scenario-Based Experiment
- Monica Diaz-Beltran, Barbara Almanza, Karen Byrd, Carl Behnke, Douglas Nelson
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