Health halo
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Health Halo
The phrase health halo (or health halo effect) denotes a phenomenon in which consumers
are more likely to overeat a food when it is either explicitly marketed or perceived as
“healthy.”
Research
Through a series of experiments, Pierre Chandon, Professor of Marketing at INSEAD,
and Brian Wansink, Director of Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab, have explored
this effect in detail.
In a study by Chandon & Wansink, participants were asked to estimate the caloric
content of a dish from Subway (a “healthy” fast-food option) and McDonalds (an
“unhealthy” fast food option)[1]. Both dishes had the same caloric content. Results showed
that diners perceived the Subway meal as having lower calories than the McDonald’s
meal. Furthermore, in an extension of this study, Chandon & Wansink found that
participants underestimated the calories of an identical dish when it was labeled with a
“healthy” restaurant name (Good Karma Healthy Foods) than when it was labeled with
an “unhealthy” name (Jim’s Hearty Sandwiches).
Another example of the health halo is that higher calorie side dishes are more likely to be
ordered when the main dish is from a “healthy” restaurant than when the main dish is
from an “unhealthy” restaurant[2]. Furthermore, the health halo is evident in health claims
on packaging. When “low-fat” labels appeared on packaging, participants were more
likely to eat more of the food[3].
Explanation and Implications
Although there are several moderators that still need to be studied, explanations of the
health halo effect can be attributed to reduced amounts of guilt, resulting in increased
consumption, and increased perceptions of portion size for foods with “healthy” labels
and from “healthy” restaurants.
Implications of the health halo effect on food manufacturers include increased need for
explicit marketing. This could, for example, include explaining what exactly “low-fat”
means. In this way, consumers may be less deluded and susceptible to the health halo
effect.
References
1. Chandon, Pierre and Brian Wansink (2007), "The Biasing Health Halos of Fast Food
Restaurant Health Claims: Lower Calorie Estimates and Higher Side-Dish Consumption
Intentions," Journal of Consumer Research, 34:3 (October) 301-314.
2. Wansink, Brian and Pierre Chandon (2006), "Can "Low Fat" Nutrition Labels Lead to
Obesity?," Journal of Marketing Research, 43:4 (November), 605-17.