Study: Food should be marketed as 'meal' rather than 'snack' to curb obesity
Researchers found that those who had eaten pasta labeled as a “snack” ate more at the taste test then when it had been labeled as a “meal.”
In what is said to be the first ever study of its kind, Jane Ogden, professor in Health Psychology, and researchers from the University of Surrey, UK, examined the impact of labeling food products as “snacks” or “meals.”
During this investigation, 80 participants were asked to eat a pasta pot that was either labeled as a “snack” or a “meal.” Each pot was presented as a “snack” (eaten standing up from a plastic pot with a plastic fork) or a “meal” (seated at a table from a ceramic plate and metal fork). Once consumed, participants took part in an additional taste test of different foods (animal biscuits, hula hoops, M&Ms and mini cheddars.)