Moral Overtones of Food: Judgments of Others Based on What they Eat

Abstract

Previous research found that meal size can affect judgments of eaters' attractiveness and femininity. The present study investigates whether eating specific types of foods-namely, healthy, nonfattening foods versus unhealthy, fattening ones-gives rise to moral judgments about the eaters. Subjects were presented with one of four bogus profiles of a person, which differed only in gender and foods consumed. Subjects rated the target on morality; potential mechanisms of effects were also explored. Results confirmed the hypothesis that moral judgments of others differ depending on the foods they eat. This result was not simply due to a halo effect but was explained by two mediational mechanisms: the Puritan ethic and the "you are what you eat" principle. However, the effect did not show predicted moderation by subject or target gender or restrained-eating status. Foods also seemed to influence subjects' perceptions of fitness and weight information about the target. Moral Aspects of Diet