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How Package Design and Packaged‐based Marketing Claims Lead to Overeating
Author(s) -
Chandon Pierre
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
applied economic perspectives and policy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.4
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 2040-5804
pISSN - 2040-5790
DOI - 10.1093/aepp/pps028
Subject(s) - overeating , marketing , perception , consumption (sociology) , nudge theory , food packaging , package design , business , preference , nutrition facts label , advertising , food choice , psychology , economics , environmental health , social psychology , medicine , food science , obesity , microeconomics , engineering , sociology , social science , chemistry , systems engineering , pathology , neuroscience
Because packaging reaches consumers at the critical moments of purchase and consumption, it has become an important marketing tool for food manufacturers and retailers. In this paper, I first review how the marketing, health and nutrition claims made on packaging create “health halos” that make foods appear healthier than they are, thereby leading to higher consumption yet lower perceived calorie intake. I then show how packaging design (cues, shapes, and sizes) biases people's perception of quantity and increases their preference for supersized packages and portions that appear smaller than they are. Finally, I examine the extent to which mandatory nutrition labels, stricter regulation of package claims, public promotion of mindful eating, and mindless eating nudges could limit the biasing effects of packaging on food perceptions and preferences.