Can Calorie Labels Increase Caloric Intake

Can Calorie Labels Increase Caloric Intake? A Test of Possible Perverse Effects of Calorie Labels

This study is a test of possible mechanisms by which calorie labels might lead people to increase calorie intake. The investigators hypothesize that calorie labels might increase calorie intake because 1) people infer that higher calorie foods are tastier, 2) calorie labels invoke thoughts of dieting, leading people to overconsume as a reaction, 3) people try to maximize calories consumed per dollar spent, and 4) calorie labels change one's goal motivation toward food, causing people to eat more.

Study Overview

• Status: Withdrawn
• Conditions: Food Consumption
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Calorie information; Other: No calorie information

• Study Type: Interventional
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Pennsylvania
    • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 15213
      • Carnegie Mellon University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Must be able to taste items used in study

Exclusion Criteria:

• Food allergies to items used in study

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Calorie label	Other: Calorie information; Nutrition label featuring calorie information will be provided.
Active Comparator: No calorie label	Other: No calorie information; No nutrition label will be provided in this condition.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Calories consumed	The investigators will assess how many calories are consumed by participants by weighing the cereal provided before and after participants complete the taste test portion of the study. This will happen within 30 minutes of the intervention, which is an experimental manipulation of whether or not calorie labels are present.	At time of intervention (30 minutes)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Attitudes toward food	Using survey measures, the investigators will assess how people feel toward the food item they just tasted, rating it in terms of perceived tastiness, healthiness, overall quality, and value. These ratings will be on a Likert scale from 1-5.	At time of intervention (30 minutes)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Carnegie Mellon University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Eric M VanEpps, BA, Carnegie Mellon University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: November 1, 2011
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 1, 2014
• Study Completion: September 1, 2014

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 10, 2011
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 16, 2011
• First Posted (Estimate): November 17, 2011

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): May 21, 2015
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 19, 2015
• Last Verified: May 1, 2015

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: P30AG034546 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)