Identifying the psychological, nutrient and sensory attributes of foods used for weight management in dieting and non-dieting consumers

Abstract

The global dimensions of foods determining consumer perception of successful weight management are unclear, but of considerable academic and commercial interest. It is also unknown whether these attributes are given greater or lesser importance in dieters compared to non-dieters. The current study examined 75 commercially available foods according to perceived and/or actual sensory (e.g. taste), psychological (e.g. how filling, pleasantness) and nutritional (e.g. macronutrient) dimensions and their association with perceived successful weight management. In total 716 dieting (n = 279) and non-dieting (n = 437) consumers were recruited. Perceptual data were collected using 3 online questionnaires while objective nutritional data were gathered from manufacturer packaging or nutrition databases. Linear modelling for perceived food dimensions revealed that energy content and how filling were the most important predictors of perceived weight management in the total sample (p < 0.0001;R2 = 0.95) and among non-dieters (p < 0.0001;R2 = 0.95). However in dieters, an additional hedonic component was significant in the model with perceived pleasantness positively (β = 0.22; p < .001), and eating-from-desire negatively (β = −.27; p < .001) associated with weight management. Analyses of actual food dimensions did not differ according to dietingstatus. In the total sample, %protein (r = .27; p < 0.05) and %fat (r = −.43; p < 0.001) correlated with perceived weight management, but made no contribution to linear models when energy content was included. Psychological and nutritional dimensions of foods are important determinants of their perceived value for successful weight management; with energy content and how filling as the most important dimensions. The perceived attributes of food associated with successful weight management differ between dieters and non-dieters, with higher pleasantness and lower eatingfrom-desire as characteristics in dieters only.