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  • Title: Regulating food consumption: Action messages can help or hurt.
    Author: Nisson C, Earl A.
    Journal: Appetite; 2016 Dec 01; 107():280-284. PubMed ID: 27545673.
    Abstract:
    OBJECTIVE: Previous research suggests that messages promoting active behavior change may inadvertently increase food consumption by promoting a general goal to act. We suggest that this is only the case for active-approach behaviors and that messages promoting active-avoidance behaviors may be used to effectively decrease food consumption. METHODS: Participants were presented with healthy eating messages pretested to vary on the dimensions of direction (approach vs. avoid) and amount (action vs. inaction) of behavior. After viewing the messages, participants selected and consumed a healthy or unhealthy snack during a taste test. RESULTS: There were no differences in snack selection (healthy vs. unhealthy) across message conditions. For messages promoting more active behavior, however, there was a significant difference in snack consumption such that participants viewing active-approach messages consumed significantly more food than participants viewing active-avoidance messages. This happened regardless of whether participants selected a healthy or unhealthy snack. For messages promoting less active behavior there was no difference in consumption between approach and avoidance based messages. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that when viewing health messages that promote active behavior change, individuals are sensitive to the direction of action advocated by the message (approach vs. avoidance) and modulate consumption accordingly.
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