Abstract
The objective of this study was to explore the impact of different advertising messages on adults' snack choice. Eighty participants (18–24 years old) were offered the choice between two snack packs following exposure to one of three advertising conditions. The snack packs contained either healthy or high fat, sugar or salt (HFSS) foods. Participants were exposed to commercials containing either non-food products, healthy food products or HFSS food products and their subsequent choice of snack pack was recorded. The Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (DEBQ) was used to assess the impact of external, restrained and emotional eating behaviour on snack pack selection following exposure to advertisements. The majority of unrestrained participants preferentially choose the HFSS snack pack irrespective of advertisement condition. In contrast, high restrained individuals exposed to the healthy eating advertisement condition preferentially selected the healthy snack pack while those in other advertisement conditions refused to take either snack pack. The healthy eating message, when distributed through mass media, resonated with restrained eaters only. Exposure to healthy food adverts provoked restrained eaters into choosing a snack pack; while exposure to other messages results in restrained eaters refusing to take any foods.
Highlights
Television is a powerful method of mass communication and, along with the internet, is the primary vehicle to deliver commercial food and drink advertising to a mass audience (Boyland, Harrold, Kirkham, & Halford, 2011; Kelly et al, 2010)
Twenty-five participants were exposed to advertisements for HFSS food, 26 participants were exposed to the healthy food advertisements and 29 participants were exposed to non-food advertisements
The focus of this study concerned the interaction between food choice and food advertisement exposure
Summary
Television is a powerful method of mass communication and, along with the internet, is the primary vehicle to deliver commercial food and drink advertising to a mass audience (Boyland, Harrold, Kirkham, & Halford, 2011; Kelly et al, 2010). Batada, Seitz, Wootan, & Story, 2008; Boyland et al, 2016; Hastings et al., 2003; Sixsmith & Furnham, 2010) This beyond-brand phenomenon of the television advertisement suggests that when an individual is exposed to commercials it primes the desire to eat all foods within the same category (Bargh, 2006; Halford, Boyland, Hughes, Oliveira, & Dovey, 2007; 2008). Despite regulations to restrict the advertising for HFSS foods in many developed countries, people are still exposed to significantly more advertisements for HFSS foods than products that promote high nutrient or low calorie alternatives (Cairns, Angus, Hastings, & Caraher, 2013) This presents a significant problem for health professionals attempting to instil healthy eating programmes at the population level
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