Our systematic review has produced the most conclusive evidence to date that people consistently consume more food and drink when offered larger-sized portions, packages or tableware than when offered smaller-sized versions. The size of this effect, based on combining data…
Does highlighting lower-calorie options online prompt people to buy them?
Swaps are used by health-promotion apps and online supermarkets to promote lower-calorie alternatives.Using an experimental online supermarket, our study found that: offering swaps did not lead to participants buying fewer calories as only a quarter of swaps were accepted, and…
Can emoticons or colours on labels influence our snack choice?
In an online experiment, neither an emoticon label (smiling or frowning face) nor a label colour (red, green or white) influenced people’s choice between a chocolate or a cereal bar. However, frowning faces on cereal bars did lead people to…
Do less deprived households have healthier shopping baskets?
We looked at the purchases of 25,000 British households in 2010 to get a detailed picture of socioeconomic differences in the purchases of food and drink. Our research found that: more deprived households purchased a larger proportion of energy from…
“Changing diets to improve planetary and population health”
In a recent UN Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR) brief we proposed that well-designed policies targeting the demand for particular foods could simultaneously improve the health of the global population and achieve environmental sustainability. Current evidence shows that reducing food…