Not Worth My Sweat: Food Equivalents of Calorie Expenditure Dampen the Perceived Value of Exercise

Jiajia Liu and Phyliss Jia Gai

Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, 2026, vol. 11, issue 4, 425 - 439

Abstract: Consumers are increasingly focused on their health and fitness, investing in fitness products and frequently tracking their calorie expenditure after physical activities. This research investigates how presenting calorie expenditure in terms of food equivalents (e.g., a run that burns the calories of a fried drumstick) impacts the perceived value of exercise, compared to presenting calorie expenditure as mere numbers. Across five experiments, including a longitudinal field experiment, we find that framing calorie expenditure with food equivalents reduces the perceived value of exercise, lowers intentions to purchase fitness products, and decreases exercise intensity. The adverse effects of food-equivalent framing attenuate when the food portion better meets expectations and when consumers possess greater knowledge of food calories. These findings expand the understanding of consumer perceptions of calorie information, exercise motivation, and demand for fitness products.

Date: 2026
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