Using indulgent labels for healthy meals on Instagram to make them more attractive.

Abstract

Obesity is a large issue within society, and eating unhealthy food regularly is a contributing factor. However, research suggests that language use in the food description can greatly affect food attractiveness towards consumers. Indulgent food descriptions may help healthy food options seem more attractive to consumers. This is because desire occurs when certain food cues, like the language use in the food labels, make people think about a specific type of food and what it feels like to consume it. This could lead to them eating more healthy meals, and in the end, may potentially lead to a decrease in obesity. Previous studies only researched this phenomenon in a restaurant- or canteen settings, and as social media has come to play a large role in people’s everyday lives, this study attempted to find out whether it is also the case in a social media setting.