Promoting Healthy Choices: Information versus Convenience

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Wisdom, Jessica; Downs, Julie S.; Loewenstein, George
• 署名单位: Carnegie Mellon University
• 刊物名称: AMERICAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL-APPLIED ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1945-7782
• DOI: 10.1257/app.2.2.164
• 发表日期: 2010
• 页码: 164-178
• 关键词: nutrition information; consumer; obesity

摘要

Success in slowing obesity trends would benefit from policies aimed at reducing calorie consumption. In afield experiment at a fast-food sandwich chain, we address the effects of providing calorie information, mimicking recent legislation, and test an alternative approach that makes ordering healthier slightly more convenient. We find that calorie information reduces calorie intake. Providing a daily calorie target does as well, but only for non-overweight individuals. Making healthy choices convenient reduces intake when the intervention is strong. However, a milder implementation reduces sandwich calories, but does not reduce total calories due to compensatory effects on side orders and drinks. (JEL I12, I18, L81)