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Body image dissatisfaction and health-enhancing food choices: A pilot study from a sample of Italian yogurt consumers
Body image dissatisfaction, and the negative emotions it generates, is one of the several psychological elements that are linked to the mechanisms behind unhealthy eating patterns. Furthermore, it decreases the odds of adopting long-term healthy eating patterns and the degree of attention we pay to the quality of food we eat. This poses body image to influence consumer choices regarding healthy food products. In this study by Bimbo et al. (2018), the authors examined a sample of Italian yogurt consumers to find out whether any links existed between their perceived dissatisfaction with their body image and the choices of healthy yogurts to consume. Study participants were subjected to a virtual shelf and their responses were recorded. Analysis of the results revealed that participants who had higher levels of body dissatisfaction ended up choosing less healthy yogurts from the virtual shelves compared to their peers. Similarly, participants who were keener on learning about the nutritional labels included and those who had prior knowledge regarding functional yogurts ended up selecting more functional yogurts, an observation that was especially prominent in women compared to men. Thus, the authors concluded that a relationship exists between body image dissatisfaction and the choice of healthy foods, a concept that is yet to be fully investigated through research studies. Moreover, the authors highlight their use of the novel virtual shelf concept as a means of examining and collecting data on consumer behavior. [NPID: Functional food, food choices, body image dissatisfaction]
Year: 2018
