Abstract
We evaluated the effect of posting caloric information on food purchases at a cafeteria. Purchases of more than 14,300 entrees, vegetables, and salads by 6,970 customers were unobtrusively monitored via the cash register inventory control system during 15 evening observations. A quasi-multiple-baseline design across food groups was used to test the additive effect of labeling the three lowest caloric choices for vegetables, salads, and entrees. A linear logit analysis confirmed that labeling increased the probability of low calorie selections for vegetables and salads, but not for entrees. Observations of meals purchased by a subsample of 413 customers indicated labeling did not change the total caloric content of meals. The number of customers and total sales per evening were unaffected by the labeling intervention. The results suggest that manipulating environmental cues may be an effective method for changing food purchases in a cafeteria, but labeling individual items may not be the best way to decrease total calories purchased.
Keywords: caloric information, cafeteria, eating behavior, food choices
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Brownell K. D., Stunkard A. J., Albaum J. M. Evaluation and modification of exercise patterns in the natural environment. Am J Psychiatry. 1980 Dec;137(12):1540–1545. doi: 10.1176/ajp.137.12.1540. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Coll M., Meyer A., Stunkard A. J. Obesity and food choices in public places. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1979 Jul;36(7):795–797. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1979.01780070073008. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Foreyt J. P., Goodrick G. K., Gotto A. M. Limitations of behavioral treatment of obesity: review and analysis. J Behav Med. 1981 Jun;4(2):159–174. doi: 10.1007/BF00844268. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Forthofer R. N., Koch G. G. An analysis for compounded functions of categorical data. Biometrics. 1973 Mar;29(1):143–157. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Grizzle J. E., Starmer C. F., Koch G. G. Analysis of categorical data by linear models. Biometrics. 1969 Sep;25(3):489–504. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Meyer A. J., Nash J. D., McAlister A. L., Maccoby N., Farquhar J. W. Skills training in a cardiovascular health education campaign. J Consult Clin Psychol. 1980 Apr;48(2):129–142. doi: 10.1037//0022-006x.48.2.129. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Rodin J. Current status of the internal-external hypothesis for obesity: what went wrong? Am Psychol. 1981 Apr;36(4):361–372. doi: 10.1037//0003-066x.36.4.361. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Scott L. W., Foreyt J. P., Manis E., O'Malley M. P., Gotto A. M., Jr A low-cholesterol menu in a steak restaurant. J Am Diet Assoc. 1979 Jan;74(1):54–56. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Stalonas P. M., Jr, Johnson W. G., Christ M. Behavior modification for obesity: the evaluation of exercise, contingency management, and program adherence. J Consult Clin Psychol. 1978 Jun;46(3):463–469. doi: 10.1037//0022-006x.46.3.463. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Stunkard A., Kaplan D. Eating in public places: a review of reports of the direct observation of eating behavior. Int J Obes. 1977;1(1):89–101. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Wooley S. C., Wooley O. W., Dyrenforth S. R. Theoretical, practical, and social issues in behavioral treatments of obesity. J Appl Behav Anal. 1979 Spring;12(1):3–25. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1979.12-3. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Zifferblatt S. M., Wilbur C. S., Pinsky J. L. A new direction for public health care: changing cafeteria eating habits. J Am Diet Assoc. 1980 Jan;76(1):15–20. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Zifferblatt S. M., Wilbur C. S., Pinsky J. L. Influence of ecologic events on cafeteria food selections: understanding food habits. J Am Diet Assoc. 1980 Jan;76(1):9–14. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]