The Backdoor to Overconsumption: The Effect of Associating “Low-Fat” Food with Health References

Using a priming procedure, the authors study the influence of associating low-fat snack products with contextual health references (e.g., words, such as diet and fiber) on the consumption of these products. Health primes increase consumption of low-fat potato chips (Study 1) and lead consumers to report that they are closer to their ideal weight (Study 2). These results indicate that associating low-fat products with health references may contribute to rather than solve the obesity problem, and they have useful implications for public policy and society.