Can health “halos” extend to food packaging? An investigation into food healthfulness perceptions and serving sizes on consumption decisions

The purpose of this research is to examine how perceived food healthfulness and package partitioning interact to impact intended and actual consumption. Across three studies, findings indicate that both intended consumption and actual consumption of the perceptually healthier food items increase when packaging is not partitioned. Further, partitioning does not change the intended or actual consumption of foods perceived as less healthy. Accordingly, perceptually healthy foods tend to be consumed more when servings are not partitioned, suggesting a positive health halo leading to a “healthy = eat more” consumption pattern. The role of affect regulation theory and, more specifically, guilt, in this process is examined. These findings have implications for marketers, food manufacturers, and public policymakers interested in reducing obesity.