Final Report Summary - FOOD INTAKE CONTROL (Environmental factors increasing consumers' food intake: developing effective intervention strategies to faciliate consumers' self-control)
The work performed since the beginning of the project has focused on answering these scientific objectives. First, in understanding how and when the food environments impacts self-control and food intake, experimental studies were designed focusing on the role of consumption norms, portion sizes, and the role of advertising (i.e. restaurant commercials and exercise commercials). A second series of (pilot) studies focused on an increasing number of meals and snacks consumed away from home. Giving in to temptation is easy especially in less structured choice environments such as restaurants and stores when consumers are often hungry and looking for a quick meal or snack. A second set of studies examined small nudges. Nudges are simple, low-cost solutions that cue healthy behaviours. By subtly tweaking choice environments (such as canteens, stores) consumers are gently pushed in a more responsible direction without limiting freedom of choice. Finally, various studies carried out during this project focused on understanding the underlying self-regulatory processes of consumers, such as their tendency to form compensatory intentions and guilt-reduction mechanisms. Two peer-reviewed papers are published and more papers are under review or in the writing stage. Dissemination of findings has taken place by several means (e.g. media, blog Food Intake Control, invited presentation, conference and seminar presentation).
The project has three training objectives. For me personally, this project enabled me to be trained and acquire new knowledge in a leading edge research environment at Cornell University in the US and in this way support my ambition to be a leading independent scientist in this research field in Europe. The first year at the Food and Brand lab of Cornell University contributed to building an international professional network in this important research area. Environmental interventions are important, since increased portion sizes, food advertisement and out of home consumptions are part of the changed food environment in both Europe and the US. The wider societal implications of the project so far are that I believe that a more action-oriented research approach on the role of environmental cues on food intake and self-control is of key importance to strengthen the European research base on experimental food research. In this way it will contribute to the well-being of European citizens.