Consumer responses to nutrition claims in food advertisements

Abstract

Interviews were conducted with two groups of women representing two different socioeconomic levels. Data gathered included information on responses to paired food ads from popular women's magazines, understandings of selected nutrition terms from these ads, and personal information about respondents. In both groups, nutrition claims were not the most potent attention-getting devices in food ads. Other factors, such as pictures of attractive food or people and colorful design, were more apt to attract the eye. However, nutrition claims did create more favorable impressions of advertised products. This advantage existed whether or not the consumer understood the meanings of the nutrition terms used in the claims. There were also indications that nutrition training can condition a positive attitude about the importance of nutrition without a concomitant increase in the ability to interpret the meanings of nutrition terms used in food ads. The authors conclude that the potential to misinterpret nutrition information in food ads exists and that the use of nutrition claims in food ads needs closer controls. They also suggest that there is a need for nutrition educators to increase the focus on the understanding of nutrition terms and concepts commonly presented in food ads.