A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
"Unhealthy = Tasty": How Does It Affect Consumers' (Un)Healthy Food Expectations?
Authors: Paakki Maija, Kantola Maija, Junkkari Terhi, Arjanne Leena, Luomala Harri, Hopia Anu
Publisher: MDPI
Publication year: 2022
Journal: Foods
Journal name in source: FOODS
Journal acronym: FOODS
Article number: 3139
Volume: 11
Issue: 19
Number of pages: 17
eISSN: 2304-8158
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11193139
Web address : https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/11/19/3139
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/176860691
Consumers having a strong unhealthy = tasty (UT) belief are less likely to choose healthy food even though they recognize its health benefits, because they assume healthy food to be unpalatable. The aim of this study was to profile consumers according to their UT belief and specify the strength of the belief among a demographically representative consumer group. The other aim was to investigate the effect of UT belief on expectations of two food products representing either an unhealthy or a healthy image. A total of 1537 consumers participated in the online survey. The scale-based (1-7) mean for UT belief was 3.27 and related positively to male gender and food pleasure orientation and negatively to general health interest. The results indicate that a strong UT belief correlates with positive expectations of unhealthy food and with negative expectations of healthy food. UT belief seemed to increase expected food-associated guilt, but other strong food-related attitudes (health interest with unhealthy food and pleasure orientation with healthy food) reduced this effect. In practice, understanding the relationship between UT belief and personal factors and attitudes, and the importance of this belief to food expectations can assist in finding the tools to encourage consumers towards healthier food choices.
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