“Healthy,” “diet,” or “hedonic”. How nutrition claims affect food-related perceptions and intake?

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of nutrition claims on food perceptions and intake among adult men and women, during ad libitum snacks. In a three (healthy vs. diet vs. hedonic) by two (normal-weight vs. overweight/obese) by two (unrestrained vs. restrained eaters) factorial design, 164 men and 188 women were invited to taste and rate oatmeal-raisin cookies. Despite the fact that the cookies were the same in all conditions, they were perceived as being healthier in the “healthy” condition than in the “diet” and “hedonic” conditions. The caloric content was estimated as higher by participants in the “hedonic” than in the “healthy” condition, by women than by men, and by restrained than by unrestrained eaters. Although measured ad libitum cookie intake did not differ as a function of experimental condition, overweight restrained men ate more than did women from each BMI and restraint category. Conversely, overweight restrained women ate less than did men from each BMI and restraint category. In conclusion, our manipulations of healthiness and “fatteningness” of food were effective in changing perceptions, but were not in changing behavior.

► We investigate the impact of nutrition claims on food perceptions and intake.
► Cookies were perceived as being healthier in the “healthy” condition.
► The caloric content was estimated as higher in the “hedonic” condition.
► Manipulations of healthiness and “fatteningness” have changed perceptions.