Appealing to vanity: Could potential appearance improvement motivate fruit and vegetable consumption?

R.D. Whitehead, G. Ozakinci, I.D. Stephen and D.I. Perrett

American Journal of Public Health, 2012, vol. 102, issue 2, 207-211

Abstract: Fruit and vegetable consumption is inadequate among adults in the United States; this contributes to preventable morbidity and mortality. More effective dietary intervention strategies are needed. Recently, interventions that advertise the consequences of behavior for appearance have been successful inmodifying sun-exposure habits and tobacco use. Such an approach might also facilitate dietary improvement. Consumption of carotenoid- rich fruit and vegetables positively affects skin color, which influences perceptionsofhealthandattractiveness, andpromotingsuchan effect may motivate target audiences to increase consumption of this important food group. This approach represents a novel direction for the field and is potentially suitable for cost-effective, population-level dissemination through the visual media.

Date: 2012
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2011.300405_9

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2011.300405

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