What you eat depends on your emotions, says study
Posted on: 15/Sep/2016 3:46:15 PM
A study published in the Jounral of Marketing has argued that the emotional relationship you have with food impacts on what you choose to eat.
In the study, one group of people were given a nutritional course and lessons on how to recognise emotions in themselves and others. A separate group were given only the nutritional course. The emotions training had people assess how they felt, and how they thought others felt about the food products that were presented to them. At the end, the two groups were asked to pick a snack. Results showed that those who had received the training in emotional recognition were more likely to choose the healthier option than those who did not.
Speaking about this, the researchers said, Consumers are often mindless eaters. This research provides a framework for how consumers can become more mindful of their food choices. We developed an ability-based training program to strengthen people’s ability to focus on goal-relevant emotional information. We demonstrate not only that emotional ability is trainable and that food choices can be enhanced but also that it improves food choices beyond a nutrition knowledge training program.
